Cielle the cat
by abelkd71
Summary: When the demon refuses to get rid of his cats the earl refuses to be in the service of a cat fanatic which causes the butler to be at a loss. But when he returns and Sebastian realizes he's sick his duties are restored until he suddenly is incapacitated.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I've been loving this series and had to write a story for it. This is my first Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler fic and I think I've captured the characters' personalities right. I'd really appreciate reviews and if there's a demand for more, I've written some more chapters already since it's a pretty involved story that still isn't finished yet.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Sometimes it is all that I could do to hold myself back in that household. Every ounce of my self-restraint is spent on controlling my anger and frustration for the efforts of preventing my demonic powers from taking over. Oh, how easily it would be to dispose of them. The 5 who cause me nothing but misery in this most recent, unusual existence are quite the bunch. There is the clumsy _housemaid_, the pyromaniac _chef_, the crybaby _gardener_,their titles all of which are questionable due to the poor quality of their work, or lack thereof, and the house steward who does nothing except drink tea. However, the worst is that stubborn, self-centered, overly-dependent, little boy who constantly demands such mundane tasks of me: tending to his personal matters, providing an endless supply of elegant sweets to his liking, and creating the perfect ambiance for hosting magnificent affairs.

I would lose my mind but fortunately our other activity of pursuing the mysteries of London provides the excitement and the appropriate usage of my abilities. Despite the binding contract which forces me to stay by his side and not leave, there is another reason I stay in that place with those imbeciles: my cats. Ah, just thinking about it makes me forget about all those annoyances. My collection of glorious felines kept hidden in the mansion reaches over 15, I believe, and certainly I'm not particular when regarding which type of cat I own: Siamese, Burmese, Scottish fold, Oriental, Shorthair, Longhair, Persian, Manx, Bobtail, Russian blue, Sphynx, Turkish or what fur patterns they display: Color-point, Tabby, Tortoiseshell, Calico. Even so, I must admit, there is one I favor above the rest: it is the Turkish Van who is my most recent addition. She came to me a few days ago and I instantly fell in love with her.

Of course I have not forgotten about my first, that gorgeous beauty with her black fur and amber eyes, however this cat was perfect. A glorious bundle of solid white fur of a long length, cute pink nose, incredibly soft paws and the unique combination of one blue eye and one green eye, a trait common with this breed that reminds me of my own little kitten. Still she is so friendly and cuddly I could forget myself in playing with her all day, which is exactly what happened. I opened my pocket watch and after glancing down at it, saw the time was well passed his expected tea time. It was devastating to leave my darling, however I could never displease my young master. I managed to assemble the necessary accouterments and deliver them quickly though when I knocked on the door of his study to receive an irritated grunt in response, I knew he was kept waiting too long.

"And just where have you been Sebastian?"

"I have been preparing your afternoon tea just as always, young master."

"Really, then why are you late?"

"My sincerest apologies, the preparations took a bit longer than I had envisioned but I suppose that is what I deserve for trying something new. I have for you a dessert called floating island and the crème anglaise needed time to come together in addition to the meringue requiring-"

"Enough. Just come over here and put it down."

"Yes, my lord."

I walked across the room over to his desk with the same cheerful smile I put on, grateful he did not realize no matter how elaborate the delicacy, it can quickly be produced with my skilled hands. As I placed the bowl of dessert with a spoon, the full tea cup and saucer down in front of him I noticed an unusual behavior coming from him: he had a hand brought up to his nose and was rubbing it slightly. The reason this action was atypical for him came as a result of the refusal to touch his face under any circumstance, except for removing his eye-patch, since he described it as an infallible indicator of a child and he was certainly not a child. I tried not to pay heed and allow him the peace to eat however the instant he dipped his spoon into the floating island, I heard a series of sharp inhalations coming from him. Before I could question, he abruptly turned to the side, pulled out a handkerchief and sneezed. For the first time since the two of us became intertwined but unfortunately not the last, I was surprised if only for a moment, by something he did and even though he glared at me immediately afterwards I could not keep from commenting.

"God bless you, young master."

"Hmph, what do I need god's blessings for? It never has done me good before."

"Then perhaps you will accept mine."

"A demon's blessing won't do me any good either. Just leave it alone," he bitterly demanded and the issue was put to an end once he finished dabbing at his nose before moving onto his snack, only to stop again except this time for a different reason, "Sebastian?"

"What is it?"

"The cream is good but not the meringue. Make it again next time with something else."

"Understood, are there any suggestions?"

"P-perhaps you c-could- haa… haa… hatchoo!"

"Bless you, again."

"Stop looking at me like that!"

"I am merely wondering if you are well."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm fine."

"Your nose would suggest otherwise."

"It's none of your concern."

"Oh I disagree. I believe as your butler and _soul_ protector it is of my highest concern. Allow me to determine if you are running a fever."

"Sebas-"

"I will not take no for an answer."

"Do what you may," he permitted with the fact he gave in so easily proved suspicious however I went through with the task of placing a hand against his forehead after removing my glove to check for a temperature though after assessing for the necessary amount of time my expected prediction turned up false and I backed away to my spot next to him then met his victorious gaze, "See I was trying to tell you I don't have a fever but you wouldn't listen."

"In that case, if I might inquire, what is bothering you?"

"Well if you're so intent on knowing, my nose itches is all."

"Perhaps the aroma of this tea is-"

"No, it's my allergies."

"Allergies, young master?"

"Oh you didn't know," he questioned in a confident tone, clearly pleased with the glimpse of surprise he did manage to catch on my face this time, "That's strange. I thought you knew everything about me. Guess there are still some secrets I have from you. At any rate you probably are anxious to find out what I'm allergic to."

"I am merely interested to find out the cause in order to eliminate it and ease your suffering."

"Of course you are. I might as well let you know. It's cats."

"I… beg your pardon?"

"Cats Sebastian, cats. For as long as I can remember they always have overwhelmed me and caused me to sneeze. But why would my symptoms occur now? Don't you find that peculiar?"

"It could be possible you developed other allergies, to a different yet equally common item."

"That's unlikely. Come here Sebastian," he ordered which gave me no choice but to do follow it even though I was experiencing a great distress from the irony of this situation that had to be kept inward and he pulled on my suit jacket while giving me a sour look, "Did you know there's something wrong with your uniform today?"

"Is that so? I do not believe-"

"Stop with this nonsense! If you look down to examine your clothes, you'll discover they're covered in cat fur."

"No, it is not that. Instead this is fur from Pluto which happened to end up on me."

"I'm tired of playing this game with you. I know you're keeping several cats in my mansion. Admit it!"

"You are wrong. I-"

"Enough Sebastian, I specifically asked you not to lie to me. Speak the truth now!"

"Meow."

"Se-Sebastian how could you do this?"

It became a turn of bad luck that I was unable to confess since my cat felt it necessary to enter the room at that moment and announce herself to him. She could not be blamed for her miscomprehension of the situation due to the lack of being trained properly and if only to incriminate me further, she walked over to me, clawing at my legs with the intentions of climbing up my body unless I picked her up first. I thought how was it possible for anyone to resist such an adorable, affectionate creature, as she rubbed her head against my neck while I cradled her in my arms. No wonder my black uniform was covered with her white hair though it was worth the trouble because she looked so content and began purring as an indicator however in spite of that, he remained unmoved. As a matter of fact, he had gotten out of his chair and was standing right in front of us with an exceedingly livid expression which made me imagine he was about to grab the poor cat then throw it out the window.

I tried to remain impartial and prepared myself for what would happen next except suddenly all the fury left his face, replaced with a blank expression that changed again. His gaze became distant, head tilted back, nose twitched and lips quivered until finally he succumbed to a harsh sounding sneezing fit. He was violently pitched forward from the force and it would not have mattered if I wanted to help because with all that cat hair on me it would only increase the severity of his allergy attack. Once it subsided and he finished rubbing his nose through the handkerchief, he looked back up at me though the intimidating, authoritative effect he hoped to achieve was ruined by the way he was wavering, barely able to keep on his feet. I chose not to speak this time and permit him to overcome the lightheaded feeling he must have had before addressing me calmer than I imagined.

"I would be angrier if not for the fact I'm too exhausted so I shall make this simple: no cats."

"Please young master, be reasonable. There are treatments for allergies such as medication or injections."

"Do you honestly believe I would be willing to take pills or have shots?"

"For your information, young master, the reluctance towards those methods is often present in children."

"It doesn't matter. I'm still not having them and for your information, it's not just because of my allergies. I despise cats."

"Well I do not believe you. Cats are very enjoyable and the only reason you do not like them is a result of your unfortunate, negative reaction."

"No you're wrong. Cats are disgusting, useless, pathetic creatures. They do nothing for themselves yet constantly expect such a high quantity of attention, quickly turn on their owner if they're not pleased and that superior attitude cats have as they observe everything from a distance truly is annoying."

"Those qualities sound familiar to me."

"What's that supposed to- hatchoo!"

"Bless you. It meant nothing of course however; there is one similarity between you and cats, particularly this one. Observe young master, her eyes are two different colors."

"Why should I care? I bet it didn't have one of them changed because of a mark from a demon."

"Oh you would be surprised the interesting lives cats lead."

"Hmph, I doubt it."

"It is true. You see everyday Cielle experiences-"

"Sebastian, what did you just say?"

"I was explaining that Cielle has a very fascinating life in which you and I can never hope to comprehend because cats are mysterious."

"No that's not what I meant and you know it. Tell me what you named your cat."

"She was such a perfect cat, I had to choose a suitable title therefore I named her Cielle."

"You can't do that. It's my name."

"That is incorrect, young master. In spite of the similar pronunciation, her name is spelled C-I-E-L-L-E to make it more appropriate for a sophisticated lady."

"Ugh, this is making me sick. How can you be so attached to that thing? I'll say this one more time; I won't tolerate any cats in my house. You'll have to get rid of them all immediately. That's an or-"

He was interrupted when I abruptly swung my leg across his feet to knock him down, after safely setting down my cat and just as he was about to hit the ground I grabbed his arms to hold him up a centimeter above. As I loomed over him with my eyes glowing, my pupils slitting, and my nails growing sharp to pierce his skin the frightened look on his face was satisfying though I could not be blamed for losing control. No one can come between me and my precious cats. I was staring down at him with a short distance separating our gazes and though I knew he remained in a sound state except for being terrified which proved he could retaliate at anytime, I needed to communicate just exactly what I was thinking in that calm, collected manner I so characteristically utilize.

"I am afraid, young master, that this is one order I cannot obey no matter the consequences. In that case, since you already initiated it, I must implore you to revoke it and give me permission to keep my beloved cats in your house. Every day I am subjected to complete a series of ridiculous, never-ending tasks all while I bide my time until the moment I can capture your soul. This one, insignificant request of caring for them is the single factor which allows my sanity to be preserved. Go on, speak the words I desire to hear from you already."

"Se-Sebastian… you should have known b-better than to get up… this close to m-me with all that… f-fur on you to trigger my- haa… haa…"

"No wait, please do not-"

"Hatchoo! Hatchoo!"

In spite of my attempt to hinder the occurrence by moving back, he was quicker and sneezed right in my face, twice. Even when I was sitting up away from him, I became too distracted scrubbing off what he so _generously_ imparted onto me that I had not realized he leaned over to grab my tie and blow his nose into it. He had situated himself over the rest of my body so I could not move though if I really wanted to I had the ability to escape being used as a handkerchief and I let him finish, shortly removing the defiled article after he was done. I possibly felt a slight pity for his suffering with it lessening once he sighed with relief to offer the completely opposite reaction of his anger I predicted.

"I feel much better now. That was too tickly."

"Young master, that was-"

"Your fault, you made me sneeze and shouldn't have done that. Under no circumstances are you to touch me like that again. The only reason I'm allowing this time to go without punishment is because you most likely will void the contract and rip out my soul right now for not listening to you."

"That sounds about right."

"Very well, you can keep your cats here then."

"Are you being truthful?"

"What choice do I have Sebastian? This is preposterous anyway, making such a big fuss about a bunch of cats. I don't care about this. You can do whatever the hell you want. In fact, I'm not bothering with what you do anymore because I'm not having you as my butler from now on."

"I beg your pardon, young master?"

"Yes, you heard me. You're not my butler anymore."

"What about the cont-"

"Hatchoo!"

"Bless you, young master."

"Shut up. The contract is still preserved but I don't want you around me. I refuse to associate with someone who has such an affinity to those vile creatures. You can reside in the mansion, bide your time and play with your cats but stay away from me. That's an order."

"Yes, my lord."

Even though I had accepted his command, I could not keep from finding that request strange and wondering why he would go that far to exhibit such childlike behavior, pushing someone away when they do something disagreeable to them. He glared at me one last time, making sure to grab his dessert and tea before storming out of the room which left me at a loss since I also did not expect him to be the one to leave. However, once I felt Cielle rubbing against my legs, begging to be played with I scooped her up into my arms and that entire unpleasant situation left my mind. Still I knew with this recent turn of events, the next few days would prove to be most interesting.


	2. Chapter 2

It was rather nice, the next morning, not to worry about completing my morning routine of preparing him for the day and as it came to pass without my wakeup call he overslept well passed the usual time he demanded I start his day. Still that did not seem to bother him, nor the fact that he struggled to get dressed and make himself presentable for whatever plans he scheduled. When he went into the kitchen to have a meal, I wondered how well his cooking skills were though that question was answered since he merely chose to eat an apple, proving he was not bothering with that as a sign those abilities were nonexistent. I knew he could not last long this way and it was a matter of time before he returned to me however I did not expect he would leave the mansion by himself to visit places unknown. It was his order that I remain here therefore I could not follow yet I was confident he would overcome his stubbornness to call me if he was in danger. I had been observing him from a distance without his knowledge however once I was truly left alone with no tasks to be carried out, it felt lacking.

There was nothing for me to do with the young master gone and I chose to reside in his study, taking a seat at the desk to bide my time. At one point Cielle found me and I played with her until she decided that activity was boring then left me as well. I had forgotten the fickle nature of cats: no matter how much you dedicate yourself to them, they do not constantly return that dedication, only when it suits them, unlike humans. When provided with a service, they will always repay it in their own way. Several hours had passed while I waited with inactivity until I experienced any sort of interaction though I had fallen in such a state; I could not, nor had the desire to respond. The window abruptly opened behind me and a pair of arms forcefully wrapped themselves around me with the head attached to them nuzzling against my neck. It was certainly not as pleasant as the softness of a cat and even before he began to speak, I was able to determine from his touch that my unexpected visitor was the reaper.

"Ah, Sebby, it's been too long since we last saw each other. I missed looking at that gorgeous face, those piercing red eyes. You know it's my favorite color. Oh, and your skin's so smooth. With my lips so close to your perfectly pink ones, it would be easy to… wait a minute. You never let me touch you," he spoke in that irritating, playful voice he always used however he suddenly became serious and moved around to the other side of the desk where he leaned over then gazed at me from behind those glasses with an also atypically stoic expression, "What's wrong Sebastian?"

"Why would anything be wrong?"

"Come on, you can't hide anything from me."

"I do not know what you are talking about," I responded since lying to him was not forbidden yet he saw right through it and placed a hand on my face to force me to look back at him since I turned away with that determined smile making me realize he would refuse not having an explanation, "Fine I will tell you if it is that important for you to know."

"Of course it is, as lovers it's my duty to ease you from whatever troubles you. So what is it?"

"Is it not obvious? Something is missing."

"That's true. Your companion isn't here to waste your precious time on useless tasks. I'm surprised. He stays by your side as though he's your trained puppy."

"You should know by now I would be the one who is trained though I strongly prefer not to be referred to as a canine."

"What?"

"Never mind, it is not important."

"So why are you not with him now?"

"It was an order."

"Ah, my darling Sebby, this is truly a shame for you to be left all alone. If I was your master you'd never be out of my sight, day and night. Oh yeah the nights would be the best part! I'd command you to slowly undress right in front of me then softly take my clothes off as well. You'd advance closer to me and just when our lips meet you suddenly push me back onto the bed, pinning me down. My sweet, suave lover becomes this dominating man and begins treating me rough. No, no, you can't steal my innocence. Stay back, I'm not ready. Ahhhhhh!"

"Grell, you should leave."

"Alright enough with the fantasy but to think, I had the opportunity to strike him down earlier in town. If only I had known he abandoned my poor Sebby."

"What did you say?"

"Well I would've punished him if I knew it wasn't a coincidence you two were apart. He shouldn't-"

"No, I meant, you saw him today?"

"That's right. I was just walking through the streets, hoping to find one of my victims since I managed to escape from Will and I came across that little boy. Actually I spotted him from a distance and engaged since I hoped to play with you. There was no reason for me to stay after that but he requested, or more like demanded, I join him for lunch."

"Where did you go?"

"Just some café in town, nothing special and I wouldn't have agreed since gods of death don't require constant nourishment like humans do. It's more of a pleasure type thing which didn't make sense because the beef stew was terrible but during the meal he told me all sorts of interesting things about you. Oh Sebby, I had no idea you were such a-"

"What did he eat?"

"The same dish and he ate a lot of it despite the fact he looked like he dreaded every single bite. But of course, I suppose nothing can compare to the glorious food you prepare. Ah, I'd love for you to feed me the finest, classiest meals in all of England."

"What did he do after that?"

"Hmph, you're putting way too much focus on that inexperienced child. You're lucky I'm not the jealous type. After that he told me to come here and be with you. How could I not obey that order? So I don't know what he did, but if you're really that concerned about it, you should know he was well."

"It is not that I am concerned, my end of the bargain is to protect him no matter what."

"Such dedication, I wish my soul was promised to you and I'd be your master. But seriously, what caused him to order you to go your separate ways?"

"The reason seems to be very insignificant though neither one of us will concede."

"You got into a disagreement? That's strange. Either way the best tactic to solve any setback is figure out what was the first thing that caused it."

"His allergies?"

"Allergies?"

"Yes, as it turns out-"

"Sebastian, that's enough."

"Young master?"

He was standing in the doorway, looking satisfied at the way he managed to catch me off guard since I had not realized his presence sooner because of Grell occupying my focus, possibly on purpose. After taking a few steps into the room, I needed to control my urge to question his recent activities since he appeared to be fine which was what I only had to concern myself with though it did not matter because his gaze remained away from me and he would not even address me first as a result of still resenting me for what happened yesterday.

"I see you followed my order perfectly. It's nice to have someone who follows any order regardless of what it is."

"Oh yeah I'm more than eager to do anything that involves my beloved Sebby, young master. Ah, I love speaking his words. Let me try that line he always uses. Yes, my lord. Wow that was good but unfortunately I can't capture the sexy tone your voice has."

"Is there something you have to say?"

"How are you?"

"Hmph, is that all? Couldn't you come up with a better question?"

"Well judging by your appearance, I would question the difficulty you experienced getting dressed this morning."

"Bastard, there's nothing wrong with my appearance! I just made a few adjustments on purpose."

"Is that so, you did not put on a ribbon because you cannot tie it by yourself?"

"No, I didn't want to wear it."

"That's not true. You always wear one, if I'm correct."

"Nobody asked you reaper. My patience is growing thin. Are there any more observations you would care to make?"

"Have you not been utilizing your eye patch for the entire day?"

"Yes and the reason for that is your fault."

"How is it my fault when I have not been with you?"

"Because another symptom I'm undergoing is that my eyes have been itchy. I can't rub it if something's in the way. Even when I went out of the mansion I still felt discomfort so I walked around showing both of my eyes."

"Young master, I insist, you should not do that to avoid suspicion."

"It didn't matter; my hair covered it up anyway."

"Which also looks very unkempt, I could never walk around like that."

"Stop commenting!"

"Really, did you even bother to brush it young master?"

"Sure I did but then I purposely messed it up afterwards."

"Why would you do something like that?"

"What does it matter to you?"

"I work hard every day to ensure you have the appropriate appearance as the Earl of Phantomhive and now that you purposely do the opposite it is as though-"

"You better be careful about what you're implying. I don't appreciate accusations very much."

"This is impossible," I stated to myself with a sigh and briefly contemplated refraining from any more questions or observations however as I continued to gaze at him, watching while he brought up his right hand to his face there was a peculiarity that had to be acknowledged, "Are you not wearing your ring?"

"As I said, my eyes are itchy and I can't alleviate it with that sharp stone on my finger. It would scratch me, is that what you would want?"

"Are your eyes really bothering you that much?"

"Maybe… I'm not telling."

"They look pretty irritated and red to me. I bet it stings, oh the burning sensation must feel so intense. If left untreated you could have some permanent damage to your vision."

"Cut it out Grell!"

"Come on young master, I will help you wash your face to ease the pain and then dress you properly. You are not wearing socks or a jacket either."

"No, I don't want your help. It doesn't hurt and all I needed to wear were shorts and a shirt because it was warm out. I want you to stop talking about this immediately."

"But please allow me to merely-"

"I said no! If you're truly intent on helping me then you'll tell me you got rid of those animals as I had originally ordered you."

"Unfortunately I am still incapable of doing that."

"Alright then, I'm still ordering you to stay away from me. That means you're not to touch me or do anything for me. I can be on my own just fine without the likes of you."

"The least you can permit me to do is prepare for you a suitable meal. You must be hungry after eating that meager breakfast and dreadful lunch."

"You're wrong. I enjoyed my apple and the stew was… quite delectable."

"That is not what Grell told me. Just as I am obligated to never lie to you, my… 'lover' does the same with me."

"Oh Sebby, did I hear you correctly? Are you finally admitting it? Come here and let me kiss you, kiss with our tongues."

"Stop touching me and back off. We must focus on the current situation."

"Yeah yeah whatever, so where were we at?"

"Are you hungry enough to take back your order so that I can prepare you a delicious item to eat?"

"I'm not taking back the order unless you decide to do as I say. Therefore you shall stay as you are. Still you shouldn't worry. I'm quite satisfied eating these," he refused and I was curious as to what he meant until he took out a box from a bag he had been carried, opened it then ate one of its contents, appearing to be thoroughly taking pleasure in it based on the contented sounds produced, "They're delicious."

"What are they?"

"I know what those are by the scent. He's eating chocolates."

"Chocolates?"

"Yes that's correct. Here you can have one Grell, catch."

"Oh… thank you, young master. Tee hee, I said it again."

"That was unusually generous of you."

"It's not what you think. Chocolate is an aphrodisiac."

"Wow I nearly forgot about that. Ah, my handsome lover, I can feel all the sexual desire in my body rising up and anxious to come out. I don't know how much longer I can hold off-"

"This proves it. You really are doing these things simply to get on my nerves and be difficult."

"Are you telling me you don't do that too?"

"At any rate, there are many fine dessert shops in London. Why would you not buy something from there?"

"Because it wouldn't have been the same… and you know it. I'm done with this. Grell, you stay here for however long you want and Sebastian, I shall stop by again once you have decided to throw out those-"

"Meow."

"Ah, it's a little, white cat! How cute!"

"Damn it Sebastian! Why does it always have to come around here?"

"My apologies, young master, Cielle does not seem to be trained as much as the others are. She prefers to explore the rooms of the mansion, especially those that are occupied, unlike the rest of my cats who prefer to sleep all day."

"I don't care. I don't want these things to be in my- whoa, what's it doing? How come it keeps following me?"

"You should refrain from referring to Cielle as an 'it'. She is a proper, young lady and it is crucial you regard her as such."

"Fine whatever, just make her stop coming after me. She's trying to rub up against my legs and that causes her fur to be in the air so… damn, it's getting into my eyes and- haa… haa… hatchoo! Sebastian, make her go a-hatchoo-way," he commanded though his authoritative tone was defeated by the sneeze and if that wasn't enough, he became angrier after observing my amused expression in addition to Grell's attempt to keep from bursting out with laughter from witnessing the pathetic display of him hopelessly avoiding the strangely determined cat, "Stop it immediately! This isn't funny! Why won't your cat- hatchoo! Stay away from me?"

"Bless you. I believe, young master, she has taken a liking to you despite-"

"The fact she's making you miserable, your torment is hilariously ironic."

"No it isn't! Sebastian, I order you to- hatchoo! Hatchoo! HATCHOO!"

Whether it was from the blurred vision as a result of rubbing his eyes too much or the force from that last sneeze, he was off balance and fell with his back hitting the floor. It would have been enough for Cielle to leave it at that however, she was intently interested in him and proceeded to climb up his torso then find his chest a nice spot to settle down, where she was purring contently. His hands were occupied covering his face, in a failed endeavor of keeping the allergens from affecting him, to remove her and since I surmised the half spoken order enough to interpret it as take the cat away; I swiftly walked over then picked her up.

With the source of his allergies gone, he seemed to have calmed down in spite of the desperate sounds he produced from the need to catch his breath and I was permitted to continue enjoying time spent caressing my beauty. Even though he was an annoying, inappropriate, reaper I could not help find it appealing that he was on my side and interested in her as well, wanting to join in playing. I still kept an eye on him, watching as he sat up then shook his head to rid himself of the dizzy feeling although he suddenly was thrown forward by the onset of a sneezing fit that was concerning this time since it did not resolve itself as quickly as it should have.

"Se-Sebastian, I- hatchoo! I c-can't stop- hatchoo! Sneezing. Do s-something, hurry!"

"Oh, am I hearing you correctly? As I recall, you-"

"Hatchoo!"

"Bless you, ordered that I was not your butler anymore and therefore could not do anything for you."

"Shut up and just- hatchoo! H-help me. You're supposed to- hatchoo! P-protect me above everything hatchoo! Else. It doesn't f-feel- hatchoo! Comfortable and I d-don't know how much m-more I- hatchoo! Can take. Please?"

Even though he was right, I was more obligated to obey by his rare offering of politeness and after passing Cielle over to the care of Grell, I moved to him to do as he ordered however, it required a moment to determine exactly to solve the dilemma. Still I realized it was a simple solution and placed a hand on his head to tilt it upwards, in order to create a shift in his nasal passages along with the instruction of taking deep breaths to calm down. He was surprised by the sudden contact, causing his eyes to widen and arms to leave his face, which was unfortunate because it meant the last sneeze that got out before his allergies finally subsided was uncovered. However, I was prepared this time and managed to dodge it while rubbing his back to help him recover.

There was an oddly genuine expression of embarrassment from having been disgraced in such a manner, nevertheless he soon returned to his normal demeanor and prioritized making himself look presentable by searching his pockets for a handkerchief. He became frustrated when it did not appear to be in his possession, possibly abandoned from overuse, and he was about to engage in the most disgusting of all childish behaviors: wiping his nose on his sleeve. It appeared as though he was desperate enough to throw away his principle of avoiding all juvenile acts though I prevented it by quickly providing my handkerchief then getting him to his feet after he finished cleaning himself up.

"Feel better, young master?"

"Yes I… appreciate your assistance but my order still remains in effect regardless of this incident."

"You are not being rational. Allergies do not merely disappear and you will continue to have these increasingly severe reactions unless we remedy the situation."

"The only way to remedy the situation is to clear this house of all cats. Honestly, I don't see how anyone could be so crazy about-"

"Ah, she's so cute! So cute!"

"What the… Grell not you too? You're supposed to be a terrifying reaper who kills without mercy. How could you be obsessed with these things?"

"I can't help it! Her eyes are so beautiful like one sapphire and one emerald, her fur is so fluffy, her nose is so adorably pink. I can't stand how perfect she is!"

"What about how wonderful her paws feel?"

"That's right, they're amazing and it's not just her looks. She has such a friendly personality. She keeps on batting her paws at my eyeglasses' chain. What did you say her name was?"

"Cielle, a fine name for such a sophisticated creature, do you not agree?"

"Bastard."

"Yes it is. Oh my little Cielle, you're so lucky to have Sebby as a daddy. I can become your mommy and we'll be one, happy family."

"Well I doubt that but at any rate, do you know why I chose that name for her, young master?"

"To irritate me?"

"No…"

"Not even a little?"

"It is because she truly does remind me of you."

"Only from those damn eyes."

"There is more to it than that."

"Really?"

"You know I cannot lie to you. The reason is-"

"Oh I know, let me say Sebby. It's because you're just as cute. Instead of an emerald, you have an amethyst but still a sapphire too. Your fur is fluffy, your nose is very pink right now and your palms might be soft if you would give us the chance to feel them."

"No I would not!"

"Even though you're not very cuddly, which is the only difference between the two of you, the defining similarity you share is dignity."

"Dignity?"

"Yes, young master, cats are very dignified and they never fail to uphold their respectable image."

"Unless they are stricken with an allergy attack, of course."

"Sebastian!"

"But more importantly you two also have the unique trait of being content when the proper attention is paid to you. However, if you're not given what you want, you'll become helpless and turn on your master. Still it doesn't change the fact you hold all the power. You shouldn't take it as an insult but more of homage to such a fine Earl."

"Was that what you were going to say?"

"More or less, I believe."

"Ah Sebby, are minds have become one. Now all that we need is for our bodies to do the same."

"Perhaps, young master, that is why she feels so attached to you."

"I'm sick of you idiots. Cats are still disgusting, useless and pathetic. The only reason you like her so much, Grell, is because he does."

"That might be true, you caught me but she is rather lovely."

"See? I can even prove to you that my point is valid. What's the one thing you can't tolerate above everything else?"

"Well… I really hate those prostitutes who go out and parade themselves in such improper outfits, get pregnant with men whom they don't love then have the audacity to abort their own babies. It's a waste of live caused by their selfish attitudes. How I wish to cover the streets in their red blood again, but Will strictly forbid me to reap anymore souls from those not in my book."

"Yes, that doesn't really help me out so… wait I know what example I can use. How would you feel if he hated the color red?"

"I would be devastated! But how does that apply to your situation?"

"Because it's something you're passionate about, in my case strongly disliking cats that he specifically feels the opposite about."

"You don't hate the color red, do you Sebby?"

"Grell, my eyes are red therefore how can I hate the color I am constantly forced to look into."

"Ah, that's so poetic. I wish my eyes were red but gazing into yours is still very nice," he mused and attempted to get closer to me however, in addition to my usual dissuasion of his advanced I was distracted from noticing the way he had fallen silent and was massaging his temples vigorously, "What's wrong with him now?"

"Young master, are you developing a headache?"

"No of course not. As I said, I'm very frustrated with you two and won't continue to be subjected to your nonsense. Goodbye."

"Wait, what are you having for dinner? Please do not tell me you will be going out again."

"I'm not, it's too late. I bought some bread while I was in town earlier that would be just fine."

"Bread; that is all you would eat?"

"Along with the rest of my chocolates for dessert, but the truth is I might skip dinner and retire to my room because your damn cat left me so exhausted."

I almost felt bad for him, if his reluctance for accepting my assistance had not reminded me of how stubborn and childish he was acting and he walked away without another word though the yawn he let out just as he moved passed the doors suggested he would not be eating that poor excuse for a meal. After he departed, I tried to keep the thought that something else might be going on with him out of my mind and it was easy to have my thoughts occupied since Grell decided to return to the position of his arms wrapped around me, if I had not stopped him first.

"Now that we're alone-"

"You are leaving. Give me Cielle back."

"Aww that's so unfair Sebby… but I guess I can't disagree if you really want me to go. Still I have a piece of advice to impart. It's clear you won't be the one who concedes first in this battle of fortitude over cats of all things but he's not that easy to admit defeat either, as I'm sure you already know. Even though he'll eventually give up, it might take a while so during that time, feel free to come and play with me. Farewell, my sexy demon."

"Grell?"

"Yes, are you going to confess your undying love for me?"

"If he goes out again, make sure to follow him and protect him since he ordered me not to be by his side. You can do that for me, right?"

"Sure, I suppose so. But of all the things you ask of me, it has to be for that child. You couldn't have asked: Grell run away with me, Grell take me to bed and get on top, Grell promise to be rough, Grell…"

I lost focus on his hopeless ramblings as he left through the window he came in and briefly looked down at Cielle, wondering if it was worth being separated from him. But I came to my senses after seeing my dear cat curled up in my arms, purring softly and though it devastated me to leave her resting in my bed I wanted to check up on him without bringing her to trigger his allergies again. The formality of knocking was overlooked since I did not want to disturb him, a wise decision because I discovered him asleep appearing to have simply passed out from his sprawled out position.

He did not even change clothes or move under the blankets and he looked so innocent it was impossible for me not to smile, before quickly going about taking off his shoes then pulling up the bedding flawlessly all while not waking him up. I stood in the doorway for a moment to determine if he was exhausted for the reason he claimed and noticed his breathing sounded off, almost as though he was snoring from his nose being congested. If I was permitted to my assigned duties of butler I could take care of him properly however his situation did not matter to me, knowing I would be spending the night with Cielle.


	3. Chapter 3

I was reluctant to admit it, since most of the things he says are ridiculous however, just as Grell predicted it was quite a while I was forced to wait for him to concede. He went about his daily activities, those that did not require my help or were not particularly significant, though I was unsure of what exactly he did due to the lack of interest in observing him as I previously had been. It was over a full week the two of us had been apart. During the afternoon, when I should have been preparing his tea, I was in the dining room lying on the table with a complete lack of decorum because I assumed he would not ever stop by to see me and staring up at the elaborately designed chandelier. Gazing at the décor of his fmansion, particularly this room reminded me of the social gatherings I was required to conduct for him: cooking high class meals, arranging the tableware, creating an elegant atmosphere and of course, fixing any problems his other servants managed to cause.

I could have cared less about what orders I was missing or his illogical anti-cat stance, except truthfully I felt bored doing nothing and closed my eyes in hopes of forgetting all about that. Even though it was a very unconventional place to relax, I enjoyed my rest and began thinking this inactivity could be nice however it was not long until I was interrupted. A sudden weight fell onto my torso, causing me to abruptly stand up and I would have dropped the thing if I had not realized it was Cielle, who I needed to quickly react by supporting her in my arms. It appeared strange she would land on me from the ceiling however I soon became aware of his presence close by when he brought his hand back to slap me. I was surprised a little by the fact his rash action did not have the sting it usually came with, though moreso from the amusing appearance he displayed. There seemed to be some type of liquid dripping down his face from his hair to the top of his shirt, all soaked through and with an expression so angry he was shaking in addition to laughing slightly from the immense fury.

"Your god damn cat has troubled me for the last time! I shall take it upon myself to dispose of this wretched animal before I go completely mad! Say goodbye to your precious-"

"Wait a moment, young master. Please do not be hasty. Tell me what happened."

"I was in my room, my bedroom which should be free of your cats and I had prepared some tea. You have no idea how hard that is: getting the right amount of leaves, heating up the water, finding the pot, cup and saucer, straining the remains. Despite being difficult I managed to do it and once I brought the tea from the kitchen to my room I had accidentally left the door open so when I returned she was in there, sleeping on my bed. I was outraged and tried to push her off but she wouldn't budge so then I just decided to ignore it and go about my business. After I was sitting in the chair, that's when she finally woke up and started to rub against my legs. I still was ignoring her but her fur got into the air again and made me sneeze while I was holding the tea. It spilled all over me and fortunately I didn't prepare it well enough to be the usual temperature. I'm sure if you were there, you would have been able to catch it but since you weren't I got wet. Well, what do you have to say?"

"Did… did the china… break," I managed to ask with my hand over my mouth in order to dissuade the strong urge to burst out with laughter at his unbelievable story and in spite of my efforts, he quickly caught on to being ridiculed.

"No, it didn't and you better stop laughing before I strike you again."

"Please excuse me, what would you have me do?"

"You know what I want of you."

"I apologize, however as I recall I am not allowed to-"

"Forget that, I take it back. You're my butler again, alright?"

"What about the cats?"

"Sure, keep them. Keep them all just start carrying out my orders."

"Thank you for permitting me to be in your service once more, it is a pleasure to serve you, Earl of Phantomhive. Now, shall I draw you a bath and set out a proper change of clothes?"

"No. The only thing I'm concerned with is having tea to replace that which was ruined. Also make me something sweet. Furthermore, take your cat and put her out of my sight."

"I understand. I will work on that right away however, I must insist you dry off before-"

"Sebastian, I don't want to repeat the order again."

"Yes, my lord."

From the glances we exchanged, I was able to determine that we both felt a tremendous gratification from returning to our normal roles of master and butler. Even though he suggested otherwise, I took a handkerchief to wipe off some of the tea he spilled then afterwards I tied on his eye-patch I had been carrying around as well as return his ring to its rightful place, all with one hand since I needed to keep Cielle away from him. He appeared to be satisfied with donning his usual possessions and once I had seated him at the head of the table, I left to make the preparations utilizing just as much speed and precision as I was expected of.

As a result, it was merely a few minutes I had left his side therefore the sight of observing my young master with his head propped up by his arm resting against the table and his eye closed was quite unanticipated. I walked over with the cart of items and took a moment to gaze at him in order to identify if something was wrong, because my suspicions surmised that was true before placing a hand on his shoulder to shake him lightly. He instantly jolted and woke up to focus on me, looking very dazed however he recovered, about to offer a hasty, defensive comment if I had not interjected first.

"Young master, perhaps you would prefer retiring instead? You must be fatigued after the events you went through."

"I told you, I just want to have a cup of tea."

"There is no need to whine. You could take it in your room."

"I'm not whining and feel like drinking it here. Tell me, what is this you made?"

"For dessert this afternoon, I present to you a Sachertorte accompanied with a blood orange and apricot compote to compliment the filling."

"It's chocolate."

"Dark chocolate, to be precise."

"This shall do. Pour the tea before I eat it."

"Right away," I replied and went about the task though once the cup and saucer were in front of him; he was reluctant to pick it up, "Is there something wrong with this tea, young master?"

"No it's just… I don't want the same thing to happen again."

"Why would you be worried about that unless, your nose is still bothering you?"

"Maybe."

"You are unsure that you will be unable to hold steady long enough to take a sip?"

"It's simple Sebastian; I can't stand a repeat of that incident."

"Does it really tickle that much?"

"So what if it does? It's not as though I have any control over that."

"I understand you do not. How long has this been occurring?"

"It doesn't matter. Do something to fix it."

"What have you been doing, if anything, to remedy the situation?"

"Just rubbing and sniffling," he casually admitted then had the need at that moment to demonstrate the action of inhaling through his nose which shifted the congestion in addition to creating that disgusting sound and unfortunately I was not able to hide my disapproval in time for him not to notice it, "What?"

"If I may say so, that type of behavior is unacceptable and very unbecoming for an Earl, not to mention childish."

"Don't give me that Sebastian, my nose is dripping. How would you suggest-"

"Use a handkerchief."

"I don't have one on me now."

"Here you are, young master."

"Where do you keep getting these things?"

"What sort of butler would I be if I could not supply my lord with the items he needs," I commented with pride and gently encouraged him to blow his nose instead of doing that terrible sniffling though I was wondering if my method had truly been helpful based on the uncertainty of his expression, "Is that better?"

"No, it still feels tickly. Damn allergies."

"Do you believe this is a result of your allergies at this point?"

"Of course, what else would it be?"

"I am merely wondering if you would be affected when she has not been in the room for quite a while."

"Hmph, even though she's not here I can guarantee her fur remains on your uniform."

"That would be incorrect. While preparing your tea, I examined for any traces of fur on me therefore I am free of any substance that would cause you to have a reaction."

"Then it's in the air. Either way, it doesn't matter because I just really don't want to- haa… haa… haa…"

"Try taking deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. That should quell the tickling sensation," I advised and paid close attention to the even sounds of his breathing however it soon became unsteady right before he quickly raised the handkerchief to contain the sneeze, "Bless you. I apologize. I thought that would work."

"It's fine. Instead of asking you, I should figure out how to deal with this myself. Maybe I should just not do anything about it until I have to sneeze then hold it in so it doesn't come out."

"Please young master, I must strongly disapprove of that method. It could be damaging to your brain or inner ear. Perhaps our efforts would be best spent on trying to resolve whatever ailment you are inflicted with rather than this single symptom."

"No, I'm not inflicted with any ailment and right now I do believe my efforts should be spent on how to resolve this single symptom. Sebastian, you don't understand what I'm going through. You've been saying I keep acting childish and as an Earl I need to have more suitable behaviors. Well, you're right. I hate constantly having to sneeze and making an embarrassment out of myself. It's too pathetic and I… I just… damn, it's going t-to… happen again. This is an… or-order: stop me… from sneezing."

"Yes, my lord."

It was certainly one of the more unusual tasks he demanded of me though either way I was compelled to oblige and go about the action of preventing the ever impending bodily function which, at this point, was a mechanism from his suspected illness as opposed to allergies. I hesitated a moment, not knowing exactly what I should do however his pleading expression provided me with the resolve to offer him the assistance he needed. The only tactic I could think of was blocking the intake of air through the nose and I leaned in close to lay a fortunately gloved finger across his nostrils. He seemed uncomfortable with the contact and if only to make matters worse, he sneezed anyway then two more times after he pushed me away, blew his nose then sighed heavily which suggested to be an indicator of acceptance rather than frustration.

"Ugh, that was unsuccessful but at least it's not tickly anymore. Well it doesn't matter. I'm… hey, what's wrong with you? Are you disgusted I sneezed on your hand? It couldn't have been worse than sneezing in your face."

"I was unable to fulfill the order you gave me. I failed in my duties, which is unacceptable as your butler."

"Don't overreact. I was being rash in asking you to do that. Help me with drinking the tea now. I can't lift it up without the china shaking and clinking together, see?"

"Why are you unable to keep your hand steady?"

"How should I know? Just hold this for me."

"Yes, my-"

"Hatchoo!"

"Bless you. That was unfortunate. I shall fetch you a new cup."

"It's fine. Don't bother. I can still drink it."

"Young master, you sneezed in your tea. It would be unsanitary to-"

"Why must I keep repeating myself? All I want to do is have the damn tea already."

"You are whining again."

"So? I can whine if I feel like it. Now do as I tell you."

"Please allow me to get you another cup. I promise to be quick about it."

"Alright but I order you to come back by the time I count to five. One… two… three… four… fi-"

"Here you are as promised by the time you count to five," I proclaimed with him looking pleased though clearly forgetting my swiftness and poured the tea again however the temperature of this new cup was increased from the one that had the opportunity to cool which was not a hindrance as I had imagined since he chose to drink all of it despite my attempt to put the saucer down after his first sip, "Ah, the heat does not bother you?"

"No, it feels very nice, very soothing. Thank you for that."

"What did you say?"

"But I don't think I can eat the cake."

"Is there something wrong with it?"

"Not at all, in fact it looks really delicious and I'm sorry I won't be able to taste the cake you worked so hard to make for me."

"This is strange. You never apologize or express gratitude. Are you quite well?"

"Don't be silly."

"Silly?"

"Have I ever told you how much I appreciate all that you do for me? You're really great to have around. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Ciel," I shouted, breaking the unspoken taboo of using his name and also raising my voice to him as I gripped his shoulders hard in an attempt to eliminate this most unusual demeanor, "Get a hold of yourself! You do not know what you are saying!"

"Stop touching me. I… wait, what am I saying?"

"I believe you are delirious."

"No I'm fine it's just… my head doesn't feel right."

"Your stomach must ache as well. I cannot think of another reason you would refuse something sweet."

"Yes I do feel a bit nauseous. But it doesn't matter. If you'll excuse me."

"Where are you going? Do you need help?"

"Stay away from me. I want to be left alone."

Unlike the previous scenario where he restricted my duties as butler as a result of being upset about the cats and strongly demonstrating his unwillingness to associate with an avid admirer of them, it appeared he wanted to isolate himself from me so that I would not see him feeling unwell. In any case, once he stood up from the table and started to walk away, he did not get very far because he suddenly collapsed. I caught him before he reached the ground and his heavy, uneven breathing, eye shut tight in a pained expression and increased temperature were all cause for concern. He was in such a detrimental condition and I blamed myself for letting him reach that point, not realizing how bad he had become although the incident took a hopeful turn when he weakly opened his eye with the sight he saw being the overwhelming worried feeling I was displaying that had never been expressed during our time together.

"Sebastian…"

"Ciel, I am very glad you did not lose consciousness. How do you-"

"Don't do that. You're… not supposed to use my… name. And stop holding me… too. I can walk on my own."

"At least that tone is more appropriate to how you usually speak however I must insist that you relax. You have a very high fever. How do you feel?"

"What a stupid… question, how do you think I… feel? My head hurts and is… hot apparently and my chest feels… very tight."

"That is because your breathing has become abnormal which I cannot understand the reason."

"I have asthma and the… strain can't be good for… it," he explained among the gasping breaths and I would have urged him to discontinue speaking if I was not so astounded from the lack of yet another important piece of knowledge about him, "Come on, you didn't… know that either? You really should have done… some research on your prey. They're… only mild conditions but when… things become worse, they can be… serious."

"What do you want me to do about this?"

"Nothing, there's nothing you can do. I… would even refuse being carried… but it's true. I can't walk. My body… feels so heavy."

"It cannot compare to how your lungs feel right now."

"No, it's not that… bad. Besides none of this compares to… the pain and humiliation I endured."

"We really must find a way to regulate your breathing, perhaps if you drink some more hot tea."

"I don't think I can… drink anything at this point. All I need to… do is clear my-"

The second that thought was vocalized his chest began to heave and since he was too weak even to lift up his arm, he turned away as a series of abrasive sounding coughs erupted from him. I could not help being disgusted that he was coughing so close to me although I was more occupied with gently stroking his forehead to wipe away the beads of sweat that had formed and ease his body's trembling. Surprisingly enough, in regards to all the unexpected events that occurred so far, his breathing returned to normal once he finished and he looked back up at me, having been left drained of energy.

As a result from believing the incident was through, he became caught off guard and did not react in time to prevent a sneeze aimed directly upwards however afterwards he covered his mouth with the handkerchief. I was not pleased at all having been sprayed with his germs and thought if he was going to be this much of a hassle until he became well, I would be required to endure an entirely different set of challenges with him. Still I could not be upset for long since this time he looked particularly remorseful at what he had done and it was my responsibility as butler to be polite to my master.

"Bless you."

"Sebastian, I'm-"

"Do not apologize. It is very uncharacteristic of you. For now, we must focus on your sickness and how to properly treat you."

"There's no way I'm sick."

"How else would you explain this? Your symptoms have far exceeded a simple case of allergies, falling somewhere in a mix of influenza and the common cold. Do you still feel nauseous?"

"A little but it's fine. I'm fine."

"You are not sounding very believable. If I may offer a piece of advice, it is not an indicator of weakness when you admit that you truly are in a temporarily weakened condition. Once you are honest with yourself then you realize the only point in your health you need to reach is upwards. So tell me, how do you feel?"

"What would happen if I die before my revenge is complete?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"It feels like I'm going to die. I never felt so bad. What shall happen to me?"

Regardless of exactly what he was inflicted with, it certainly did not pose as life threatening however his melodramatic attitude seemed to be an additional side affect and one which in his mind was a rational concern though I quickly smiled at him then soothed, "If you were to die before your revenge is complete, our contract would be invalid and I would not be able to collect your soul. Therefore, you cannot die now because I refuse to allow it. You shall recover and return to your normal health. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes, I suppose so. You should know I wasn't delirious when I said I appreciate always having you with me. But I won't ever repeat that again so remember it."

"I will, and you should know as well I appreciate being at your side and serving you. I could not have ended up with a better master. Now enough talk, you must conserve your strength. This occurrence is quite unprecedented. I am unsure of what precisely needs to be done to treat you. I have never taken care of a sick person before. You probably should be given a dose of some sort of medication."

"Sebastian, I'm not taking any medicine. It's unnecessary and you're being too troubled over this. All I need is to sleep. That seems like a very good treatment. I feel sleepy."

"Wait young master, I do not think you should sleep with your high fever."

"What are you worried about now, that I won't wake up?"

"It is a possibility since you have more control over your body while you are awake and can communicate if you believe that you have become worse."

"Just let me sleep, I don't feel well."

"I know and it is a shame. Allow me to offer a condition: you can fall asleep only if you promise me you will wake up."

"That's bold of you to make me promise you anything… but fine, I promise to wake up. Now I'm going to sleep and don't disturb me until I'm done sleeping on my own."

"Yes, my lord. Sleep well."

It might have been paranoid of me and even inappropriate to not only ask him to not sleep in addition to ensure he would wake up though I believe he understood my rationale of being inexperienced in this type of situation since he felt the same way. In spite of not wanting to appear vulnerable he yawned, wrapped his arms around my torso and repositioned to curl into me, unable to ward off the need to sleep any longer. He looked cute regardless of the contagious microorganisms contaminating my uniform every time he exhaled and I carefully transported him to his bed in order to preserve his restful state. The first measure I executed was draping a cool washcloth over his forehead to reduce, or possibly eliminate, his fever although, that was all I could do for him while he remained asleep and therefore I was left waiting until he gained the required amount of sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

I found myself bored once again with the lack of tasks to complete however, there was the added sentiment of being concerned over the ill child I was intently watching. The action of observing him sleep was one he very rarely ordered me to carry out though I was certain being under the weather had affected his typical sleeping patterns. He was sleep talking, even though the words were incoherently mumbled, and his body twitched occasionally both of which proved to be side effects of his fever in addition to snoring from his inflamed nasal passages. After much apprehension, impatience and anticipation he finally opened his eyes, having slept for 21 hours straight and was looking distressed, except not for the reason I believed. Instead of being irritable from his illness, the moment he caught view of me waiting by his bedside, he immediately turned away and pulled up the blankets in order to hide himself from me while making a point of groaning loudly. I was surprised by this strange behavior and once he had finished coughing a few times, I needed to act upon the obligation to address him while attempting to subdue my trepidation.

"Are you alright, Ci- excuse me, young master?"

"No, I'm sick."

"Ah, you are admitting it now?"

"What's the point of denial? Why are you here anyway?"

"I wanted to see that you kept true to your promise."

"Promise?"

"Yes, you promised me you would wake up and eventually you did."

"How long was I asleep?"

"Nearly a day, I do not know how you could have slept so long when usually you moderate your amount of sleep very rigorously although, you cannot be accountable due to the necessity of recovering."

"That's not a good excuse. I wish I would have woken up sooner. This kind of laziness is intolerable but it's not what I'm really bothered by. You stayed here, waiting until I woke up even without having been given that as an order."

"I did. What are you conjecturing?"

"It seems like you were worried and for that I'm sorry."

"Young master, you really must remedy this new attitude of yours or else you will be giving the impression you have adopted a sentimental outlook which certainly is not true."

"Sebastian, it doesn't matter what impression I give because I already have made myself look the worst I possibly can be."

"Ah, you are wrong. I have seen you appear worse."

"No, this is different. Even before I was captured and tortured when I lived a happy, carefree life I had never been sick. I'm unfamiliar with how it feels so I'm not used to being this weak and vulnerable."

"Is that why you are hiding from me?"

"Don't question my actions. I can do as… as I- hatchoo!"

"Bless you. For your information, I do not care whether you are strong or weak, impervious or vulnerable, healthy or ill. No matter what you are, I am only by your side to protect you and ensure I can collect your soul when the time comes therefore it would be a problem for me if you did not wake up. Please young master, pull the blankets down and allow me to assess your current condition."

"You should know I'm feeling very disagreeable at the moment."

"Just come out from under there."

"Fine, but not because you said so, it's stuffy."

He reluctantly emerged from his cocoon to sit up and it was the first opportunity I could observe the changes in his appearance from the undeterminable expression he had while asleep. His complexion was paler than usual, eyes were lacking that glimmer of light, chest was heaving from the struggle to breathe and nose was unfortunately dripping. I prevented from staring that long since he would have been upset however, I was compelled to irritate him by grabbing his hand when he raised it up, about to take care of the problem and offering a handkerchief instead. He glared at me, annoyed that I insisted maintaining proper behavior though gave in and rubbed his nose through the cloth, quickly deciding that it was a better method since he needed to blow his nose as well. Once that was finished, he turned away from me again still implying that he wanted to be left alone to bear with his illness however, that attitude was put to an end after he looked down at himself confused and posed a question.

"Sebastian, what is this? Why am I not wearing any clothes?"

"I removed your garments to prepare you for sleeping as per usual except, due to your fever being so high I did not dress you in your nightshirt because I thought you would be more comfortable that way."

"What else did you do?"

"Took off your rings, earrings and eye patch also attempting to get rid of anything that might be rough against your skin, I believe even a minor irritation could be increased when one is ill. Of course, I apologize profusely if that is not what you want."

"No it's fine and seems to be a good decision. Since you have been concerning yourself with what my wants would be, I'm specifically making a point of telling you to keep this piece of information about me being unwell to yourself. I don't need those three or Lizzy to know."

"Well, I can understand the anxiety about your servants not knowing. Bard would try to heal you with severely burnt food, Maylene tripping over something or another and Finny breaking… everything in sight. However, I believe if your fiancée were aware of the situation she would be more than willing to take care of you."

"Exactly, she would overreact and just cause me trouble as she always does. Besides I don't want her to worry over me and even more so, it would be a greater problem if she became sick too."

"That is very thoughtful of you."

"No, I just prefer if she doesn't bother me. Now tell me you will keep this a secret."

"Of course, young master."

"With that settled, there's just one more thing I'm wondering about. Why is my head wet?"

"I set a cold compress over your forehead while you were asleep. It fell off when you woke up. Shall I check your temperature to determine if that measure still needs to be taken?"

He simply nodded, not becoming too enthusiastic about being fussed over but thankfully was cooperative in a timely manner by moving towards the edge of the bed and I leaned in to rest a bare hand against his forehead after wiping away the moisture. Despite his self-proclaimed disagreeable attitude, he appeared to be very agreeable based on his eyes closing and even a small smile forming across his lips from the contact, for whatever reason. I was surprised yet pleased I could ease him however, the calm moment was ruined with an unexpected sneeze that caused both of us to repress our immediate reactions: his remorse and my disgust. The once awkward occurrence seemed to have become a joking matter as he blew his nose and I sighed exasperatingly before we exchanged glares.

"Bless you. I suppose I should be getting used to that by now."

"And I suppose I should not bother apologizing. But you need to understand I'm not doing it on purpose and sometimes I can't tell when it's about to happen until it's too late."

"I know and it is alright. At least you seem to have improved."

"Really, I don't feel hot anymore?"

"Well you certainly feel a lot less hot than you did before. It still seems as though you have a mild fever therefore you must relax and not put too much strain on your body otherwise it will return. Now, would you like me to dress you?"

"No I can do it myself."

"Young master, I am aware you can do it yourself however you usually-"

"It doesn't matter what I usually do just… maybe you can help keep me steady, Sebastian?"

"Do you feel dizzy?"

"Not now but that might change once I stand up. Let me try first."

His refusal of assistance was familiar, at least for this instance, although the way he did ask me for help was about as far from an order as it could be, emphasized by his soft tone. As warned, he was very unstable once on his feet in addition to the limitation of my interference because I merely stood next to him while he held onto my arm for support and put on a set of clothes which I should have done. I was distracted by the same boredom from not completing my designated responsibility to notice he had dressed into a pair of pants and robe along with his accustomed shirt that seemed strange, prompting me to comment once he was settled in bed.

"Perhaps it would be wise to wear less clothing if the remnants of your fever are still present."

"I'm cold."

"You might be worse off than I had surmised. The side effect of chills is often a result of a high body temperature."

"Is the window open?"

"Oh… yes it is. I had opened it in order to cool you down faster."

"That's what the problem is then. Could you please close it?"

"If I may suggest, that is the exact opposite manner for you to ask something of me and you need to resume behaving as you always do. I am becoming unnerved by it. Your personality change is the oddest symptom I have observed from you."

"Sorry if I haven't the thought to behave as I always do and I mean that sarcastically. Fine, if you want me to go through with it, this is an order. Close the damn window."

"Yes, my lord."

Even though I had requested it, I was disappointed by the forced attribute of his normal attitude which caused me to believe it was possible for his health to have affected his personality. He had become so occupied keeping up with the illness which weakened him that he did not have the strength left to order me in the standard manner. I was lacking in experience with dealing with ill people and this feature of psychological transformations, albeit temporary, seemed fascinating however I focused back on my task I was given. Once I returned to him, noticing that he had turned away from me again with his body shaking from coughing, I was hesitant to address him except the silence proved he was not about to say anything to me soon.

"What else is there I can do for you?"

"Nothing… and it's not even simply refusing any assistance whatsoever at this point. My mind is… so b-blank and I can't… think of- hatchoo!"

"Bless you, young master."

"Oh… why must my nose keep running? I wish you could do something for that."

"Unfortunately the only assistance I can offer is the advice of using a handkerchief."

"I need a new one because the handkerchief I have now has been overused. Can you get it for me?"

"Yes, my lord."

Such a simple task was not what I intended though he was ill and in need of relief yet above all else, I lacked the option to deny any request of his no matter how insignificant. I was privileged to have a level-headed, unemotional master rather than the opposite who would behave inappropriately and demand things that were not required for reaching his goal because I have heard rumors of such demons with children in their contract portraying that situation. It made me smile thinking about that however I was becoming distracted and needed to focus on the current circumstance of holding out a fresh handkerchief for him except he never attempted to take it.

He only looked at me and started sniffling once my confused inaction lasted too long which caused me to sigh since the single solution I could think of for what he expected of me was moving the cloth up to his face. I shuttered as he blew his nose yet was thankful that this time a barrier resided to ensure I would not be sneezed on when it inevitably occurred and thought perhaps I should reevaluate my previous notion. After he finished, I had calmed down and revisited the question of what he would need from me to be struck with the answer from reflecting back on the usual duties I carried out for him.

"Are you still nauseous?"

"Huh?"

"It is a simple question. You were experiencing a slight case of nausea before and I am wondering if the status of that symptom has changed. Take a moment to think about it," I instructed and he glared at me as though he believed it was pointless except whether he realized it or not, a grumbling noise emanated from his stomach that proved what I was getting at with the additional effect of leaving him embarrassed, "Ah, it sounds as though you are hungry. That is a good sign. What would you care to have?"

"I can get something myself."

"Young master you constantly order me to put on your clothes, prepare your food and bathe you even that I highly doubt you would let me do now as well."

"That's right."

"Explain to me then, since you are so weak enough and clearly unable to take care of yourself, why do you refuse my purpose of fulfilling your orders?"

"Sebastian, you just said it, why would I want to feel any more pathetic than I already do? It's great having everything done for me only when I'm capable of doing them myself, not during the time I have to prove I can do them since it's obvious I can't. By doing things for me now it's just rubbing that fact in my face and making me feel ashamed. I shouldn't have gotten sick because the only reason it happened was leaving you in the first place when I was forced to take care of myself. It's my own fault and stubbornness so I have to pay the price."

"And yet you are forgetting something. More importantly, it is my purpose to make your life easier after you have been through so much until the moment I can collect your soul regardless of what happens. You called me to allow you some more time before you die to enact your revenge however while we wait for that day to come it is my duty and privilege to do everything in my power to provide you with the comfort you have been granted as a result of being saved by a demon. Therefore to deny me the pleasure of making you comfortable is negating the very reason I am here for you and your strong will to survive. Do you understand?"

It seemed pointless to continue towards the end of my speech since he looked as though he was not paying attention to any of it based on his blank expression still I needed him to know that which was only a strategy of cheering him up from his sudden depressed tone. I had placed my hands on his shoulders to emphasize the sincerity of my point and the action was risky because every time we were in close proximity, I would be sneezed on however what he did instead was infinitely more unpredictable. He shifted his body forward, wrapped his arms around my neck and rested his head right up against the side of mine, in what appeared to be a hug. I did not know how to react due to that being the first time I was hugged let alone by the young boy whose soul I was guaranteed though I returned the embrace after realizing he was only seeking out the comfort I had ensured him. Besides from the initial shock our hug was a pleasant, calm moment we shared until he suddenly backed away with a very good reason.

"Let me go. I have to- haa… haa… hatchoo!"

"Bless you. I appreciate the forewarning, young master."

"Well I just thought it wouldn't be good for me to sneeze on you while we… at any rate you were right. I am hungry but I don't know what I can have. I probably shouldn't eat anything too heavy."

"A common type of food one eats while ill is soup, I believe. In Japan, a traditional remedy for colds is leeks."

"Leeks?"

"Yes, young master therefore the most efficient way of utilizing them is to prepare a vichyssoise that also includes potato and cream in order to make the dish more substantial yet it will be light at the same time. How does that sound?"

"Isn't it served cold?"

"Traditionally yes though I can serve it to you however you prefer."

"Serve it to me slightly warmed and I also want a pitcher of room temperature water."

"No tea?"

"Sebastian, I don't feel like drinking it right now and before you comment on its strangeness, I don't want anything sweet. If you must know, being sick has affected my tastes much as my attitude and behaviors. So don't question me and follow my orders."

"Yes, my lord."

I kept from commenting that he should not fall asleep while I was gone since it seemed to be likely due to the fact it had already happened and he yawned as I left the room. Fortunately I moved quickly and managed to arrive with his meal before he drifted off. The though he might still be nauseous despite insisting otherwise was concerning because he ate very slowly and several times he refilled his glass. However, it was good that he finished all of his soup and I offered to accompany him when he announced the need to visit the washroom yet he refused. Once he returned, I expected to prepare him for resting with his full stomach most likely making him feel tired although he exhibited the strange reaction of briefly looking up at me expectantly then turning away which he repeated several times.

"Is there something you wish to say?"

"No…"

"Tell me what you desire."

"It's nothing. Just leave it alone."

"Whatever is on your mind, I implore you to-"

"Alright fine, since you're being so persistent. I lied before about not wanting something sweet."

"Is that all? You underestimate me. I should be disappointed however I will allow you to be forgiven this time as a result of your illness. I had planned for this not so unexpected turn of events. Here, I hope this is to your liking."

"What is it?"

"Pain d'épices accompanied with crème anglaise as you requested earlier. I believe the slightly dry and spiced quality of the cake will be complimented by the smooth and creamy taste of the cream. Please enjoy," I claimed and was pleased when he employed the opposite method of consuming his dessert by eating at a fast pace which should have been an indicator that he enjoyed it except once he finished the last of it, he smacked the dish off his lap, quickly instigating me to catch it before questioning "Young master, what is wrong?"

"Damn it Sebastian; that was the worst thing I ever ate!"

"Really… I thought you were taking pleasure in the taste and I specifically had your preferences in mind while-"

"Hatchoo!"

"Bless you. I do not understand however, I apologize and will prepare you something better right away."

"No, it's not the fact it needed to be better. You were right about the contrast of textures. I enjoyed that part but I lost my sense of taste. I couldn't taste any of the delicious looking dessert you made for me. It was the same way with the soup. I knew something was off when I was eating it but hoped that would go away once I ate the cake. As you can guess it didn't and my last attempt was to eat it fast so I would taste it. Even that didn't work and now I'm left with being unable to taste anything. What the hell is this?"

"Please calm down. It is not good for you to become worked up while ill. This symptom sounds normal and corresponds with what you have been going through. Your nose is clogged therefore the process of experiencing food is affected. I assume your sense of smell is gone as well."

"I… I guess. What needs to be done to fix it?"

"Young master, I am afraid nothing can be done. We must wait until you become well. You have strongly refused medication although instead the best treatment is to rest. With that you will be able to return to how things usually are. I urge you to sleep now."

"Wait, I'm not tired yet and have just come to a conclusion since I can't smell either. Get Cielle and give her to me."

"Are you serious?"

"Just do as I say. Don't make me give you an order."

"Whatever you are attempting, it is unnecessary. You should-"

"Meow."

"Even though she has repeatedly been a nuisance of intruding unexpectedly, for the first time I'm glad she did. Now you don't have to find her. Tell me, how do I call her over here?"

"Well you could say her name in a gentle tone and soothe her to make her want to come to you however I really believe you should not-"

"Cielle… I want you to come to me. Go on, it's alright. Come here you… good cat."

It was quite amusing to hear his lack of experience with talking to cats though regardless of that, he was successful in capturing her attention and from the location of standing under me, rubbing against my legs, she immediately left to jump onto his bed. I felt slightly jealous that my cat was so easily attracted to him however having the thing which previously tormented him seemed to be more of a concern and he picked her up, keeping both hands on her upper body to let her legs dangle then glared at her judgmentally.

"I still don't understand what you find so appealing about this thing: with her different colored eyes, triangle shaped nose, pointed ears, slinky tail, so many whiskers sticking out and all this fur. Besides from that, cats still don't contribute anything to their owners and expect so much from them."

"Young master, I keep on insisting that trait is not very far off from your own demeanor."

"Sebastian, I'm fed up with constantly being compared to cats!"

"Please calm down. I apologize, however gazing at her beautiful form rectifies all troubles, do you not agree? I often spend time with my cats as a result of becoming overwhelmed by the annoyances I am forced to bear with. Perhaps you can gain the same relief from being with her."

"It doesn't matter. Answer this: with all the attention and care cats need, what is it they give back? It would be awful if a creature which is bound to someone takes so much and offers nothing in return."

"Despite the fact that it does not seem significant, the undeclared gratitude is detectable and enables that effort to be invaluable. At any rate, is there not at least one aspect you can appreciate about Cielle?"

"Hmm… I suppose she is reasonably soft. It feels good when I run my hand down her back and across her face… hey she licked me. What did she do that for?"

"That is how she shows her affection. It is a typical cat behavior."

"It's disgusting but I guess it can't be helped if that's what she does normally. So when she licks me am I supposed to lick her back because she better not expect that of me," he informed with a resolute tone as though that was normal to say and I couldn't help laughing, albeit with a hand over my mouth to muffle it, from his absurd claim, "Stop that this instant! I know as little of cats as I do using silverware for weaponry. Tell me what I would do if I wanted to return her affection."

"You merely continue petting her as you are. Cats enjoy being treated well by their owners. Try petting her some more. She likes being scratched behind the ears and having her belly rubbed."

"Yes, you're right. She looks content and is purring. That's a bit cute. I suppose there might be a certain appeal to witnessing your pet's satisfaction. You were also right about the fact… damn it."

"What is wrong?"

"Nothing; let me continue. I was… only mad at you h-having the… cat and didn't l-like her be-because of my al… allerg- hatchoo! Hatchoo! Haa… hatchoo! No please, not now."

"Bless-"

"Wait I'm… not done. I s-still feel snee- hatchoo! Hatchoo! HATCHOO! Ugh… Sebastian, you can- hatchoo! Take her- hatchoo! Away now plea- hatchoo! Please?"

"Yes, my lord."

In spite of the thought being on my mind, I did not comment on his absence of an order replaced with a polite request and grabbed Cielle from her contented position of cuddled up in his lap after he had dropped her from the distraction of his allergy attack. I was irritated he retained the presence of mind to turn away from her whereas he held no qualms spraying me with his sneezes though I relaxed once she was back in my arms and safely away from him. Even when she was at a reasonable distance, he was still plagued by the volatile reaction and had become so affected he forgot to utilize a handkerchief until the sneezing finally concluded. He barely was left with the energy required for raising his hand up to clean his face and needed to catch his breath in order to recover therefore I was uncertain whether he would be able to talk however the way he stared at me suggested I should start up our conversation.

"Are you finished now, young master?"

"I think so. That was too much. Why must I be sick?"

"Do you believe that was caused by your illness rather than your allergies?"

"Yes, because my nose is too clogged for it to be affected by that."

"It seems as a result of your nose being clogged the reaction was delayed yet demonstrated all the same. However, you could be right and it was simply from your cold."

"Don't say that."

"Oh, is there something that offends you about what I said?"

"I don't think I have a cold. Why wouldn't it be a case of the flu?"

"The typical indicators of the flu are nausea, headache and fever therefore since you recovered from those symptoms remaining with coughing, sneezing and congestion you have a cold."

"But I don't want to have a cold. Out of all the diseases it's pathetic. Only children get colds."

"It is not as though you have control over which illness you become inflicted with and you seem to forget, you are still a child."

"Sebastian, don't make me sneeze on you for whatever time it would be."

"At any rare, perhaps next time you could attempt to cover your mouth. Whether or not those sneezes were from allergies, a cold or the flu you still emitted countless germs into the air that creates an infectious environment for anyone happening to breathe it in."

"What does it matter? The servants won't be allowed to enter so the only one in here with me is… you. I should have realized this sooner especially after already contaminating you. Can demons get sick?"

"I strongly doubt it however, shall we not find out the hard way?"

"Yes I suppose so. I'm feeling tired and ready to sleep but before I do, I have one more thing for you to do. Put Cielle out of my room and remove your outer clothes," he instructed which proved my belief that he knew his allergies had bothered him since he wanted to ensure the cat hair on my coat would not affect him again and after I did as he told it was strange to see that he was still dissatisfied, "I meant the gloves too."

"If I may question, why do you ask that of me?"

"It's simple. I just want to feel the bare touch of your skin against mine."

"Please explain exactly what it is I am expected to do?"

"Rub my head."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Just until I fall asleep, I think it might be difficult even though I'm tired."

"Young master, I strongly suggest you overcome this soft side. It truly does not suit you."

"Sebastian, you said irritations on my skin that normally don't bother me would be amplified and that's right so the opposite principle can be applied. A gentle, soothing action will feel good. Just get it over with."

"Yes, my lord."

I kept from becoming irritated by the latest unusual request in the series of his atypical, vulnerable behavior since at this point it was simply too much effort to question however my frustration increased when I extended my ungloved hand towards him and he made carrying out my order difficult by moving away. It didn't seem as though he was purposely being difficult, instead his neediness was being further manifested and even though he didn't verbalize it he wanted me to move onto his bed in order to rest up against me. This action felt more unfamiliar than the hug although I was eased since he enjoyed being close to me and even more so when I began what he desired. I couldn't help appreciate the irony from the soft, gratified noises he produced that was reminiscent of a cat purring when they were being petted. The requirement of sleep needed to be delayed because I would not allow him to rest without taking a dose of the cold medication I acquired in town earlier. Despite being mad at me for causing him to suffer through that, I resumed rubbing his head for a few short minutes until he finally dosed off and with that my horrible day of tending to my ill master was over.


	5. Chapter 5

It was far more draining to take care of him when he was ill rather than healthy though that exhaustion exhibited itself in a physical form as oppose to mental which was what I believed would happen from dealing with his dramatic mood change. Instead I could feel a pounding sensation in my head, a tightness in my chest that made breathing difficult and a possible tickling in my nose and throat. Those conditions were minor however with all of them combined I experienced a great deal of trouble walking back to my bedroom because that simple action was hindered by the profound abnormality of feeling disoriented as though everything around me was spinning. Fortunately I managed to arrive at my destination unseen and the sole thought on my mind was undressing from my uniform to be comfortable when I embraced the soothing relief of sleep since at that point I felt overheated. I was unable to worry about whether he might have needed me during the middle of the night or the next day however the two of us were confronted once I opened my eyes to discover him staring at me from the position of sitting on my lower body to lean in close to my face although he backed away slightly when he saw I was awake.

"Sebastian?"

"Ciel, what are you doing here?"

"Good, you can verbalize a thought. I wasn't sure how lucid you would be or if you would regain consciousness at all. I'm still not happy about you using my name but I'll forgive it at least until you return back to normal."

"What is going on?"

"I'm familiar with that lack of awareness, the haziness which makes your head feel cloudy. It's terrible, isn't it?"

"When I asked the question, what are you doing here I meant, what are you doing here on my bed, on top of me?"

"If it bothers you so much, I'll move to the side but it was to absolutely make sure you had woken up. I should've thought ahead and made you promise me like you did except I didn't think it was an issue. I was worried about you."

"Why?"

"Because Sebastian, it's 5 in the afternoon."

"I overslept… I was not able to prepare you for the day."

"Don't worry about it. I overslept too so I didn't need any of that done. I woke up a short while ago but still had to wait for you. It was boring and I hated being unsure of whether you were alright. How do you feel?"

"How should I feel?"

"Come on, don't give me that Sebastian. You're sick."

"That is not true. I simply overslept after taking care of you… was it yesterday?"

"Yes. I would punish you for lying to me but since you don't believe it and are in denial I'll let it go. Also it couldn't have been that exhausting just taking care of me that you would need to sleep so much."

"Believe me, it was."

"Do you even need to sleep at all?"

"Typically no, however it is nice to relax after carrying out all of your demanding orders: prepare a five star meal for guests that you inform me only arrive in minutes, escort you everywhere even to the shortest of distances and my favorite, purse a crazed angel in order to save all of London. I do everything you say because I do not have a choice to fail, still that does not suggest I am not left with a heavy toll which I held back the urge to verbalize until now."

"You know, you're only complaining because you don't feel good."

"Stop suggesting that!"

"Don't raise your voice. Your throat probably is sore."

"No it is not."

"It sounds that way. You're not being very cooperative."

"Similar to the manner you were behaving yesterday?"

"That doesn't matter. I just wish there was something that would make you realize you're sick. Making you tell me without lying is pointless since you don't believe it's true. You should just get it over with because the first step to recovering is admitting it. So come on… say you caught a cold… stop being so stubborn… say it… that's an order… why are you disobeying and ignoring me… Sebastian, say something… what's wrong with you…"

"Young master, I apologize however I think I am about to-"

The reason I had kept silent was that my breath started to hitch and I knew speaking would further provoke the tickling sensation in my nose however once I realized it was inevitable, I almost informed him of the complete warning before a sneeze emanated out of my body in a very unpleasant manner. I made certain to turn away from him though he still jolted and backed off slightly since it caught him by surprise while I dealt with feeling the irritation in my throat from the air violently expelled in addition to the moisture projected. The worst of it was the lightheadedness I experienced afterwards and I thought perhaps he might scorn me for involuntarily sniffling since I strongly disapproved of him doing that action. Instead when I returned my focus, I noticed he simply was staring at me speechless and expressionless which seemed to suggest he disapproved of my behavior, creating the need for me to speak up first to condone.

"Excuse me. Now you are the one who is silent."

"Huh… I was just wondering if it's pointless to bless a demon."

"I suppose it would not be however it is unnecessary. I am your servant and you are my master therefore you do not have the obligation to offer me such politeness."

"The same can be said for you."

"No because-"

"Let me finish. You're supposed to protect me and make sure I don't die but we both know I can't die from a cold. Nothing that has happened to me is fatal and I certainly didn't order you to do everything you've done. Even though I made it difficult, you took very good care of me and were unnecessarily polite. Taking that into account, I have reached an answer to my question. Bless you."

"Thank you. I appreciate your consideration however it is yet another trait that does not suit you."

"It doesn't? I'm supposed to be a respectable nobleman and if I haven't developed my manners by now, that would be a problem. You know, being sick has made me reevaluate the decisions and events that shaped by life to what it is now. I can't help thinking about what my life would be like if I was a regular boy and never underwent that tragedy which forced me to make that contract. I would attend school, spend time with friends, view the world with a carefree outlook, and still have parents who would take care of me when I don't feel well. But even so the way you treated me yesterday made me feel the closest to having a parental figure I ever will."

"I am as far from a parent to you as possible."

"Yes I know that! I was just-"

"Calm down, I understand what you were saying. As for your other point, if you lived a regular life we would not be fated to be together. In fact, I would not be in this world if you never made our contract."

"You would simply be with another person who called you."

"Why do you say that?"

"The only reason you came to me is because you were bored and decided interfering with a human's destiny would be fun."

"That's not true. While I did have a single reason for coming, it was not from boredom. I was hungry and still am. In addition it would only satisfy my hunger to feast upon your soul," I explained with a certain malice in my voice which possibly didn't come through since there was also a strained tone to it which caused him to be startled from hearing by demonic intentions and I felt slightly remorseful from telling him that when his insinuation of regarding me as his paternal role was destroyed however I quickly realized a statement that would pick up his mood, "Young master?"

"What?"

"I believe you were right. I am sick."

"Finally, I got a confession out of you. It shouldn't have been that difficult."

"It was difficult making you confess though."

"That's not true. I confessed except it took a while to realize I was sick. Anyway that doesn't matter. Tell me how you feel."

"I do not like this occurrence of our roles switching. I am the one who takes care of you and is supposed to maintain a strong disposition. Even though I have lost that I still keep the prerogative of being in control of you."

"In control?"

"Excuse me, I meant being concerned about you."

"Hmph, you said you weren't concerned about me."

"How are you feeling today? Illnesses do not go away in such a short time span."

"I'm feeling drained and sick but not as bad as before since I don't feel that disoriented, I haven't sneezed once so far and I'm not running a fever. The same can't be said for you."

"What does that mean?"

"Your body must have been too hot to cause you to take off your clothes and still remains that way because you haven't realized you're undressed," he brought to my attention which caused me to finally notice I had been lying in bed naked for the whole time and that strongly compelled me to immediately become presentable however as I sat up, moving to the edge of the bed with the blankets falling off me, in spite of my supposed overheated state, when the air hit my exposed skin that suddenly sent chills throughout my body then generated another sneeze, "Bless you Sebastian."

"Thank you. I apologize for my inappropriate appearance. It will only take a moment to put on my uniform."

"Don't apologize. It's my fault you're sick so any unfavorable behaviors will be ignored for the time being until you return to normal. That means I'm not your master now but instead your caretaker and also you can call me Ciel I suppose."

"Be that as it may, Ciel, I still believe it is indecent to remain unclothed around you no matter how high my temperature might be."

"Yes I agree but you shouldn't have to wear those uncomfortable clothes."

"It is the only type of clothing I own."

"I know. That's why I'll get you some pajamas."

"Do you suggest I wear yours because, other from the strong refusal I assure you they would not fit me."

"Hmph, I wouldn't let you have my clothes anyway. No, I'll take them from Bard for you. That would be a better fit."

"You would need to make sure not to get caught otherwise you will be forced to reveal that you are sick, not to mention me as well."

"That doesn't matter because it already happened. I should have known, with my inactivity and lack of movement around the mansion it was only a matter of time until they found out. It started when I woke up then heard a knock. I thought it was you but you wouldn't hesitate to enter since you knew I wasn't well. All of them came in and I tried not to say it though apparently I didn't have to because my appearance gave it away. Still they were really helpful. Tanaka made me some of his green tea, Bard managed to cook something that was quite delicious and not burnt, Maylene changed my bedding and took my dirty clothes to wash and Finny kept me company while they were busy to make sure I wasn't alone in addition to a bouquet of flowers that looked like the best thing he has ever grown. They're very good servants despite their flaws. It seems whenever it's important, they can do their jobs professionally like you."

"I am the only one who holds a contract with you though."

"Are you feeling defensive about someone else looking after me?"

"No… did you say I was sick?"

"They wondered where you were and thought it was strange you weren't around to take care of me but I said I had given you an order you were working on."

"What order? I do not remember-"

"It's more of a request and an unspoken one because I thought it would be too obsessive to say but… I want you to get better. I knew you wouldn't be feeling well when you didn't come to me and nothing else matters, not even your inability to carry out my orders if you can just do the one task of getting back to normal then making sure I do too. That's all."

"Ciel, I-"

"Don't say anything you might end up regretting later. I actually regret saying that but it's too late to take it back now. Anyway you stay here and lie back down while I get you some clothes."

I was either too stunned or too drained to even say one word in response though it did not matter since he left immediately afterwards and I repositioned to lie down with a heavy sigh, forced to obey the unspoken request of getting better. It seemed so simple however at the moment I felt dreadful and could not envision a way to give him what he asked, still it was reenergizing to know he relied on me to do something for him even when I was incapable of my usual tasks. Just as these thoughts were going through my mind, I was brought back to reality by the onset of the tickling sensation again which made me fall susceptible to a sneezing fit. It came as a relief he did not witness that display because I really preferred not to keep showing him I was pathetic enough to come down with a cold, even if I did catch it from him.

I tried to not think about it and concentrate on recovering, which did not seem to be a wise decision since I was beginning to feel tired except I knew I could not rest again. He would return shortly and experience the same uncertainty of whether I woke up however I thought closing my eyes for a few minutes could not do any harm. It felt good and I almost fell asleep if he had not come into my room, slamming the door open loudly as though to disrupt me on purpose and brought a tray with the items to make tea in addition to the clothes he provided me. I needed to concentrate on dressing since that slight movement made me feel unbalanced and I would have been upset with the fact he was doing what I usually do for him if not for being compelled to bring up a concern about the other matter at hand.

"May I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"Why did you only take a pair of pants?"

"You have a fever. It's not good to wear a lot of clothes that prevent the heat from leaving your body. Besides, I couldn't find the matching shirt and I was in a rush to get back because I need to take care of you."

"I do not need you to take care of me."

"That's not fair. I could have given you that attitude but I didn't. You're not thinking rationally."

"On the contrary, I am completely thinking rationally since-"

"I know. You want to say you're the one who takes care of me. Even so, you should know if you allow me to take care of you, you'll get better faster and be back to taking care of me."

"Very well…"

"Alright, I'm glad you agree. Now, can I pour you a cup of tea?"

"Absolutely not, I have accepted the inevitability of not being able to serve you in my usual manner however I refuse to receive a service I am accustomed to providing for you."

"Don't be difficult. The only way for you to return to proving me with the services you're accustomed to is getting better and if you drink some tea, then you'll get better. Here, it's really simple. I have a whole pot of Earl Grey, which is too much for myself and I brought two cups so I'm going to pour the tea in both cups then take one to leave it for anyone who wants to drink it, not necessarily you. But I suggest it should be taken soon otherwise it'll get cold and lose the heat that's good to have when someone's sick."

The logic he explained seem to be infallible though I lost track halfway since it was hard to keep up with the illness affecting my concentration and I followed along with it by choosing to take the cup of tea he set up. It appeared as though he had difficulty with the preparation due to the fact he had measured the amount of leaves incorrectly based on its slight bitter scent that would have been more profound if my senses were functioning properly, an upside to this ordeal. He cringed as he took a sip, suggesting his sense of smell and taste had returned however he did not complain or offer a single comment, perhaps as a gesture to say he was capable of making tea to the best of his ability. With his task done, he went back to sitting next to me and I could not help finding it strange how both of us were casually lounging on my bed, drinking overly strong tea though despite that, he glanced at me while forcing the concentrated liquid down his throat, wordlessly demanding that I do the same. As previously mentioned, it could have been worse since in my current condition, the otherwise vile beverage was drinkable and as per his advice the hot temperature seemed to be beneficial.

It felt nice, possibly clearing out the fuzziness I was experiencing although, yet with very good timing, immediately after I finished my tea I felt my nose start to act up again and despite the strong will to hold it back, I still ended up sneezing just as forcefully. Even though the bed shook and the abrupt sound harshly broke the silence, he remained unfazed due to merely sipping the last of his tea without so much as the slightest jolt of surprise, suggesting he was becoming used to the action. It was good at least one of us was since I continued to feel ashamed of disgracing myself in front of him as such and despite being aware that he was staring at me, waiting to interact however I hesitated to show my face to him. I could feel that there was a flushed tone to my usually pale skin, my eyes were dull and had dark circles around them, my hair was unkempt, my nose was feeling very uncomfortable with the congestion staring to come out and I was sitting there shirtless though I knew I could not keep ignoring him any longer since he started to become frustrated. He smiled possibly from the satisfaction of seeing me so pathetic when normally I am not only strong yet capable of carrying out so many tasks perfectly although that sentiment was not projected when he finally initiated our conversation.

"Bless you."

"Thank you. I profusely apologize for that constantly occurring. It does not stop."

"Of course it doesn't. You're sick. I already told you don't apologize. It's just something we have to put up with until things return to the way they used to be."

"It is still unforgivable for a butler to display such disgraceful behavior in front of their master, not to mention a demon being in this weakened condition. I do not want to simply put up with it… however I suppose there is no other-"

"Sebastian, I can't believe you did that just now!"

"What?"

"You sniffled!"

"Did I?"

"Yes!"

"Am I not allowed to do that? Please do not tell me it is an order."

"It bothers me because you kept insisting I shouldn't engage in such unbecoming, childish behavior so you're a hypocrite and I won't stand for that."

"I cannot help it. My nose is irritated and doing that helps relieve-"

"Yes, I completely sympathize with that need but there's a better way which you also heavily instilled upon me. Here, take it. I haven't used this one yet."

He held out a spare handkerchief to me and I felt awkward for accepting something he had been needing however I abandoned that response when I experienced the onsets of a sneeze, causing me to hastily grab the cloth from him to cover my mouth. It was a tremendous relief to be able to sneeze with dignity to some extent and I thanked him afterwards for the blessing he continued to offer, also for the appreciated and previously lectured advice of the benefits to using a handkerchief. I insatiably rubbed my nose, knowing the action would end up making it raw and not caring about that at the moment since I was only seeking a reprieve, though I could not help thinking that method was not as effective as I originally believed. In order to prevent from sniffling, I needed to pinch my nose closed except that felt even worse and I was aware he picked up on the lack of my proper handkerchief habits, which he immediately commented on.

"That's no good."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You need to blow your nose, not just wipe it otherwise the sniffling won't stop."

"I cannot."

"Ugh, don't be stubborn again Sebastian, just-"

"No, I meant I am unable to do it because I do not know how."

"You don't know how to blow your nose?"

"Ciel, I know as little of colds as I do being the head of a toy company. This is the first time I have been sick at least from what I remember. My memory is a bit hazy before the Black Death and even though I might have been exposed to disease before, I always managed to keep out of it and stay above those human flaws. However now-"

"It's different because you let your guard down around me… well that can't be changed so just get this over with. Hold the handkerchief up to your face, close your mouth then forcefully blow out through your nose and do that until everything has been expelled. It's kind of disgusting and you might not like it but you have to deal with it if you have a cold or allergies," he explained then waited expectantly for me to undergo the foreign act of nose blowing and I came to the conclusion that the sound was far worse than the action itself after being done with it however as compensation he gave me a sympathetic smile, "How do you feel now?"

"Miserable, depressed, pathetic, useless although if you are asking did that make an improvement then yes. As for my physical state I am congested, achy, feverish, and on the verge of delirious. This is terrible. I really hate being sick."

"You forgot to mention whiny."

"I am not!"

"Don't worry. It's fine. Being sick gives you that right. You know, all this time I was trying to figure out why you would be concerned about me because it's a lie to say demons can feel human emotions quite in their way. They might be able to imitate them but never fully comprehend the essential element to what makes someone human. I'm sure demons have their own set of emotions, right?"

"That is true. What do you think the reason is then?"

"Well I have listened to what you said and realized all it comes down to is you don't want your food to get spoiled," he announced in an ominous tone, repeating the same metaphor I had used earlier and even though the claim was true, I neglected to acknowledge it however that did not matter since he quickly returned to what he had been discussing, "Anyway you're basically not in a good mood which I can't tolerate, because what use are you to me then, so it'll be up to me to cheer you up by doing something nice for you."

"Please do not suggest you get me something to eat."

"No, it's pointless because you wouldn't accept it and I don't feel like going through all that trouble. You'll just have to wait and see what I'm going to do. Wait here until I come back and don't get out of bed."

"Yes, my lord."

"That wasn't an order."

He meant the response to be serious however I could detect a hint of playfulness to it, as much as he was able to muster up and smiled at him before he left the room, leaving me to wonder just exactly what he had in mind. He was showing signs of improvement since he did not appear to experience any dizziness while moving and his attitude seemed relatively upbeat whereas I was not in the mood to deal with anything at the moment. Even though I remained clueless and unwilling of his intentions, I quickly caught on once I heard the distinctive sound of his sneezing coming closer to my room which could have only meant one thing. Sure enough, confirming my anticipated suspicion, he arrived then stopped to stand in the doorway while holding Cielle and suffering from an allergy attack.

He had his head turned away from her, in an attempt not to sneeze on her however he was able to cover his mouth after she jumped down and rushed over to me, meowing for my attention then purring when she was comfortable sitting on my lap. I knew only a small part of her actually missed me, since I was not feeling up to playing with her before, because she was attracted to me as a result of the extra heat radiating from my body and I felt very content, even instantly a little recharged from her presence although I soon focused back on him. He continued to sneeze while returning to his spot next to me on the bed and it only came to a stop as a result of taking out a handkerchief from his pocket then placing it in his hand, due to him being distracted, in order for him to blow his nose. I made an effort to caress her fur lightly and not cause it to be in the air because even though his task of cheering me up worked, I felt bad from the exhausted expression he gave me.

"Bless you. Your streak has been broken."

"Huh?"

"You said earlier you have not sneezed once today and now the same cannot be claimed."

"Oh, yes… I suppose so. You should know while it was the allergies that made me sneeze, I have been feeling on the verge of it all day because my nose has been itching from my cold. At any rate, are you better now that your cat is with you?"

"Very much so, thank you Ciel."

"Ugh, doing nice things is exhausting. I need to sleep."

"If you would like, you can stay here to rest?"

"I can't because I need to make sure you're alright."

"I am fine however it would make me better to see you resting. Just close your eyes for a few moments. Nothing can happen during that short time."

He yawned in response, indicating that he agreed with the suggestion and instead of lying down, as I had thought he would, his head fell against my shoulder to rest in that position. It did not seem as though he was comfortable however the concern became contradicted when he curled into me with a content sigh. I softly rubbed his head, similar to the action of petting my cat and with the two of them in my possession; all the negative experiences that occurred as a result of catching a cold became insignificant.


	6. Chapter 6

The mood was perfect as I lied on my bed, reveling in the quiet tranquility with my master and pet however that peacefulness in addition to the silence were abruptly taken away by a sneeze. He had practically fallen asleep and was pitched forward before he rapidly looked around the room, giving the impression that he was unaware of his surroundings though the uncertainty became clarified once he caught sight of me. I was certain at this point that his symptoms were the result of an allergic reaction rather than his cold, mainly because Cielle began to get closer to him while he slept yet in order to prevent agitating him I chose not to tell him that and instead offer a more casual response.

"Bless you Ciel. Your allergies seem to be worse than yesterday."

"Well I think it's because my nose was clogged then and now it had cleared out somewhat but that made it easier to be affected. It doesn't matter. Actually I have been wondering if you're allergic to anything."

"Why, would you want to punish me with it if I did not do something you favor?"

"No, I'm just curious."

"I am not allergic to anything, never have been and do not believe demons would particularly suffer from allergies."

"Oh I see…"

"Of course if there was an allergen which affected me, it would definitely be disillusioned, love-crazed reapers."

He tried to connect with me once again and although I would have taken pleasure in crushing that hope, instead I turned it around with a humorous comment that I did not expect would be much of an alternative however it ended up forming a smile across his face, possibly accompanied by a small chuckle. I was surprised by his unusual venture into a happy demeanor then not so much from his display of vulnerability by leaning into me and resting his head against my shoulder in a second attempt to rest. Cielle had been disturbed from his movement however, for some reason she did not settle down as though she was expecting something and sure enough, she jumped off the bed then headed towards the source of a sudden intrusion. Coincidentally it was Grell, possibly waiting for that moment to come into my room and despite picking up the cat meowing for his attention, his typical sporadic behavior was absent due to wordlessly staring at what he saw before him, mouth agape that was matched as he became aware of the situation to offer a seemingly irritated comment though I knew he was more amused by this than annoyed.

"Hmph, you're making a bad habit of dropping into my mansion uninvited, reaper."

"You! I'm not talking to you! How could you do this to me Sebastian? After I give you all of my unending love and affection, you're in bed with that child! I'm crushed, devastated, outraged!"

"I'm not a child. You act more childish than I ever do."

"There is a very simple explanation and it is not at all what you are thinking…"

"Go on, explain it to me."

"I am not in the right condition to be talking very much."

"What does that mean?"

"It's not good for him to talk very much because his throat-"

"Just consider this: do you believe it is normal for a master to interact so informally with his butler in addition to seeing him in such an unprofessional state?"

"Well I don't… oh my gosh Sebby, I was too distracted before to notice. You're naked," he giddily exclaimed and rushed over to pull back the blankets covering my lower body while keeping a secure hold on my cat, having been fooled by the fact my chest was exposed, however in a temporary lapse of judgment I allowed him to do this without warning otherwise which left him miserably defeated, "Aww you could have at least said something."

"As a result of my mood being affected, I thought perhaps it would be amusing to trick you."

"No, it wasn't funny!"

"I thought it was."

"Nobody asked you! Between this and the other thing, I'm seriously regretting ever coming here in the first place."

"Then leave, we're not stopping you."

"But I can't because you promised."

"What? I did no such thing."

"Yes you did. You said if I kept the fact you weren't feeling well from him then I get one trip to his bedroom, no questions asked."

"Oh really, Ciel?"

"Damn it, the offer's revoked since you couldn't keep your mouth shut."

"No, I don't think you'd do that because you're too respectable to go back on your word, right?"

"Listen, this isn't a good time for you to be here… or maybe it's the perfect time."

"Huh?"

"I don't want him cooking, cleaning or even leaving his bed and I know not doing the things he does normally, makes him bored so having you here to occupy him with rejecting your advances is good."

"That's not much of an incentive to stay but I can't pass up this opportunity of being in your room for the first time, something I've dreamed of. Still I must say it's quite ordinary."

"You are aware I am merely a butler and as such only permitted what my master…" I started to explain however hesitated to finish because of that tickling and even though I kept from making any noise by tightly clamping my hands over my mouth, the coughs that racked through my body caused me to convulse which brought about a confused look from him that left me feeling slightly embarrassed, "Excuse me."

"What was that?"

"It's what I've been trying to tell you. He's-"

"Perhaps I could voice my opinion. I think now is not a good time for you to be here. You need to leave, immediately."

"Come on Sebby, you know it'll take much more than a warning, and a lackluster one at that, to dissuade me from being with my sexy, demon. Besides I have the feeling no matter how much you don't want me here, there's nothing you can do about it."

"Yes, I agree with him for once. What can you do when you're like this?"

"Like what? Tell me what's going on already!"

"At any rate, staying or leaving, I must put on a shirt."

"Don't do that!"

"Aren't you still hot?"

"Oh yeah, I'll second that… but what do you mean, still?"

"No, actually I am feeling a bit chilled though either way I am uncomfortable with this-"

"Stop ignoring me! I came all this way and suffer through the torment of missing work to see you and so far it's been one giant disappointment. Don't you have anything to say to me?"

"Get out."

"Aww you're so cold to me. Don't shut me out."

"I do not want you here right now. If you leave and wait a few days until I come to you, then that would be enough to satisfy your obsession with me?"

"What kind of things would we do?"

"That depends on whether you do as I say."

"Why don't you want me here now? I don't understand what's going on that I can't stay or, why you haven't thrown me out yet?"

"And I do not understand why you cannot simply leave. I am not in the mood to tolerate you. Make your decision now because at this point, the only thing I will do to you is: punch you in the face."

"Well… that's a tempting offer but I'm still gonna have to refuse."

"I will kill you."

"Wait, here me out. Why would I wanna give up already being here for a possible future visit? You're not a nobleman nor bound to me forever with a contract. You're just a deceitful, demon butler and that means you can't be held to your word. So I've decided you're stuck with me and besides I can tell despite what you say, you really need me here now because something's wrong."

"How do you come to that conclusion?"

"Woman's intuition."

"But you're not a woman and your intuition must be broken since you haven't already realized he's-"

"Please Ciel; I am perfectly capable of handling the situation myself."

"We'll see. You're doing a great job of it so far."

"Thank you for the encouragement. Grell listen, I-"

"Don't bother. There's nothing you can say to me that would make me leave because I'm not giving up until I find out what's wrong with you."

"Nothing is wrong with me."

"I don't believe you. Hey, if you allow him to be in your bed, then would you mind-"

"Absolutely not!"

"Come on, I can make you forget all about your concerns."

"It is not the type of concern that can be easily forgotten. You are really not catching on therefore I might as well inform you that I have-"

"Oh I got it! You feel unfulfilled that you're not performing your normal duties for him."

"Alright, you guessed correctly however I strongly think you should reconsider leaving."

"If that's correct, then what's the reason for it?"

"You know, for an all-powerful god of death, you're not too smart. What you said is only part of it. I stopped him from doing those things because of something that happened to me which is now affecting him. If you're truly intent on knowing what's wrong with him-"

"Nothing is wrong with me."

"You're not supposed to lie. Why don't you take a good look at him?"

"Take a good look… all I see is the same, gorgeous de- no, wait. Your face is flushed."

"It is not."

"Maybe that's why you're in bed, half-naked. When I place my hand on your forehead, you feel very warm."

"Back off and do not… touch me."

"Hold on, could it actually be possible? You're-"

"Grell I am s-serious. You cannot be this c-close to me because I… I need to-"

"What: tell me how gorgeous you think I am or how much you wanna kiss me or confess your love for me? Any one of those is fine, I just-"

He was not listening and I knew holding it back would not be an option, I thought perhaps if I went through with the action, it would deter him to the point of leaving which provided me with the motivation to sneeze right in his face. Of course I had not foreseen that it would come out so forcefully, causing our foreheads to collide and him to fall backwards in addition to Cielle jumping off of him, disturbed by the upset before removing his glasses to wipe off the particles of moisture then furiously scrubbing the rest of the places sprayed. For a moment I was concerned, because of the way he glared at me with such anger, reminding me of the fact he was indeed a dangerous killer in spite of his typical demeanor however I became distracted when the rare sound of him laughing reached my ears.

"See? Isn't it amusing to sneeze on someone?"

"No it is not and I certainly had not intended to do it on purpose. Grell, I-"

"Don't bother. I'm leaving. I can take a hint."

"You do not have to leave…"

"But that's what you want. Why should I be where I'm not wanted?"

"That's never stopped you before."

"Well it's stopping me now. You two look very happy together and I won't ruin that any further. Goodbye."

"Grell wait, can you please get me a shirt?"

"Hmph, why should I?"

"Because you love me."

"So what? You don't feel the same way."

"My favors for you would be shifted in the positive direction if you do. Could you possibly refuse a request from me?"

"I can when you look like that. You seem to be under the impression you're capable of winning me over with your charms, which would normally work except now you look disgusting. Your eyes have dark circles under them, your voice is all raspy and you need to wipe your nose, it's dripping."

All of the confidence I managed to muster up disappeared after he said that and in my moments of distraction, he took advantage of the opportunity to explore what little personal articles contained in my room, only pausing since he cringed when the irritating sound of my nose blowing reached his ears. I was curious as to why he had chose to stay because he seemed uncharacteristically unattracted to and annoyed with me however despite that, he still carried out my request of supplying me with one of my white-collared shirts, albeit having it thrown at me. He resigned to sit at the far edge of my bed, staring at me with contempt as I dressed, disregarding to fasten the buttons in order to properly regulate a stable temperature and I felt guilty, so much that I became compelled to make amends in an attempt to restore his typical affection towards me, which was not necessarily a good thing.

"Thank you. I appreciate your assistance."

"Whatever, Sebastian."

"You may call me Sebby."

"Don't try to appease me, it won't work because I'm very upset with you."

"There is something you must know and it is not easy for me to admit, nevertheless it cannot change the fact that… I have fallen ill."

"Yeah, I figured that out when you sneezed all over me."

"He could be allergic to love-crazed reapers."

"That's not funny. Maybe it was my fault for not realizing it sooner but who would figure a demon getting sick, especially such a strong, handsome one. You better hope I don't catch it either or else… I'll cut you with my scythe!"

"Those are just a pair of scissors, a small pair."

"Will hasn't returned my custom chain saw. I can still do a lot of damage."

"You would not hurt me, would you Grell?"

"Maybe…"

"Isn't it strange how you're normally so affectionate towards him and now you act as though you want nothing to do with him? It's a shame really, because I can guarantee he would let you touch him."

"Why do you say that?"

"My judgment and rationality are not functioning at their typical levels."

"What does that mean?"

"I have a fever and it is causing me to be delirious, only slightly mind you though enough to want your company."

"Oh great, you only wanna be around me because you're not thinking clearly. How's that supposed to reflect well upon me? I don't think I can be any more turned off by you right now."

"There is another reason I want you here. It was as he described. Without my daily tasks, I have grown bored and am in need of something to preoccupy my time."

"Well I don't care about what you want or need and the only reason I'm staying here is because I'm bored but that doesn't mean I wanna do something with you."

"Alright, this is strange. What is wrong with you? Every single day I try my hardest to reject you."

"I know."

"And when that does not happen, you refuse to be with me."

"Yeah, I know that too."

"Are you not attracted to me anymore?"

"Not necessarily… it's just now-"

"Perhaps I should remove my shirt again. I am starting to feel hot again. Are you feeling hot, Grell?"

"It won't work… not that I don't think you look incredibly sexy either way but… oh I can't take it anymore! Sure I would love to do be with you right now and do wonderful things. I could climb on top of you and-"

"Keep it clean, we are in the presence of a child."

"Hey!"

"Do those implied things but it's just so disappointing to come all this way here and waste my time when you're sick. It's so disgusting I can barely stand looking at you, the incredible demon whom I fell in love with."

"I am in no way enjoying this and furthermore it is not my fault I became sick. Why does that bother you so much? I am sure you were around when half the population was wiped out by sickness. It must have been a lot of work for you reapers."

"Oh it was and I had a lot of fun then but I still dreaded every minute of it. In case you haven't realized yet, I'm a very stylish woman."

"Man."

"Either way I have to maintain my pristine appearance. How can my gorgeousness stay intact unless I avoid such horrendous human ailments as coughing, sneezing, colds and allergies?

"Does that still change the fact you will not offer me any sympathy and take care of me?"

He remained silent for a few moments, thinking that over and I tried my best not to put him off any further however I could not prevent myself from succumbing to the onsets of a sneeze. I almost managed to ward it off except I should have not gone through the futile efforts however in the opposite response, after I finished blowing my nose, he laid down in my bed on top of me and cuddled up to rest his head right against my shoulder, forcing me to try my best not to breathe on him too much.

"Aww my poor, darling Sebby. Bless you."

"Thank you. I suppose that attitude is better than treating me as though I were an invalid."

"Yes it is. Maybe I've been looking at this the wrong way. Instead of being disgusted by your sickness I should think of it as fascinating. Right now inside your body there are billions of tiny organisms infected and overcome by an invading force."

"Grell, please-"

"It's your army of the cells that make up your immune system and are supposed to keep your body protected against those harmful, foreign enemies. That battle must be an interesting one to witness; of course you need to be cheering for your side to win otherwise-"

"Could you stop talking about this?"

"I'm only trying to sympathize with you."

"Clearly you severely lack that ability."

"I'd love to be one of the cells in your body, exploring all of you from the inside and getting to access places you'd normally-"

"If you do not cut it out immediately, I will have to sneeze on you again and we certainly would not want that."

"Okay, okay. Forget about that. Instead of focusing on your ailing body, I should concentrate on how it got that way."

"You probably think of it as impressive: how a simple case of allergies could lead to all this."

"Well I'd be more impressed if I didn't know this would be the end result."

"What?"

"It's true. When there was that time he refused to be around you and thought he could endure the city on his own, but really I was watching him the whole time because you told me to, I observed some cold symptoms starting to develop."

"That would have been nice to know before I had to catch it."

"Yeah, but then it wouldn't have been fun and I wouldn't get to be in bed with you."

"You are unbelievable."

"Thank you and you're sexy even with a cold," he playfully announced and I was unable to determine whether he was purposely being oblivious which gave me the idea of torturing him by making it seem as though I would sneeze on him again, since coincidentally the urge developed at that moment, however I turned away then covered my mouth at the last second, finding a great deal of amusement from his annoyance, "Damn it Sebastian! I'm not the one you should be mad at. It's his fault you're sick. Even though I didn't tell you about it, he was responsible for this by spreading all his nasty germs to you."

"Yes well unfortunately he…"

I paused once I realized he had not interrupted once as the conversation switched over to him, which was contrary to the recent trend of stating his opinion and once I looked down at him, I saw that he simply was blankly staring straight ahead of him, appearing to have fallen into an exhaustion induced daze. It was all he could do to keep his eyes open let alone his head up and the silence was suddenly broken by a series of inhalations before he sneezed, barely coming out of his distracted state to raise the handkerchief. The action seemed to have woken him up a bit although I did not allow the opportunity for him to return to his room and instead pulled him down beside me where he could rest at least for the night.

At first he put up a little struggle then could not help embrace the soothing, recuperative relief of sleep and it was at that point, I noticed Grell not only had left my bed, he was on his way out the door, making sure to blow me a kiss goodbye accompanied with a wink and devilish smile. Even though there was time now to focus on both of our recoveries, the only thing that needed to be done was for myself to fall asleep and after several days of mostly doing nothing but resting, any and all traces of our colds were gone. I returned to my usual, auxiliary duties of tending to him and he returned to being the queen's guard dog which required my primary responsibility of protecting him until the time came where I was allowed his soul, therefore everything was as it should be, or so I thought.


	7. Chapter 7

I was working in the study one afternoon several weeks after the previous incidents, finishing some paperwork that he left for me to do and in such uneventful times, I was beginning to feel reminiscent until a sudden interruption sought out to make my hopes for excitement a reality however it came in a most unpleasant form. He burst through the door, clearly in a panicked state which for him never involved inconsolable crying and I immediately stood up to move over to him, keeping the fascination from seeing him cry for the first time inward because I noticed he held her unmoving body in his arms. A sharp pain radiated throughout my body as I quickly put the pieces together except I managed to maintain my composure in order to tend to his anguish first and console him while he choked out the words through his heavy tears.

"Se… Sebastian…"

"What happened to you?"

"I'm fine… but look at Cielle. She doesn't seem to be doing so well."

"The same can be said for you. Regardless of the situation, you need to calm down."

"How can you say that? Your cat might be dying and all you can worry about is me?"

"You are the one I made the contract with however… this does appear to be an upsetting turn of events. What happened to her?"

"I don't know. One moment I was playing with her in my room, now that I think of it she was a little sluggish… but then her eyes closed and she started breathing harder. Actually… I don't think she's breathing at all now."

"Here, give her to me," I offered and took my cat out of his arms, replacing her with a handkerchief he needed to use to clean up his face and after examining her up close, I was able to determine that she had stopped breathing which forced me to break the news gently to him since apparently he had become very fond of her in that short amount of time, "Young master, I know how difficult this must be for you to hear however Cielle has passed on."

"No I won't accept that! I refuse to accept that! You're capable of so many things, you can fix her."

"I am merely a butler and do not have the power to interfere with beings once they moved on to the next world. Even if I found a way to get her soul back and heal her body, it would not be-"

"Shut up! That's not good enough to tell me there's nothing you can do for her. I order you to-"

"Ciel, I cannot allow you to give me an order I am incapable of carrying out. You were the one who stated: when something is taken away from you, there is no hope of getting it back ever. Besides, trying to bring her back is only insulting and ruining the memories we have of her. She does not deserve that. She was merely a cat who did the things a cat is required to do: eat, sleep, provide companionship and affection then die after a short while of living. You only knew her for a few weeks however she was 20, quite old for a cat. She lived a long, full life and now that she is gone, it is our jobs to honor her memory. I am curious, why are you so upset over the animal that had made your life miserable?"

"Because… we shared so many traits, you said it yourself and it wasn't just our eyes. All I do is eat, sleep, provide companionship and die after my short while of living with the exception that I probably won't make it to 20."

"The difference between you though is your complete lack of affection, although after what happened when you were sick proves you are capable of it a little. That still does not explain-"

"But she was such a good cat. I didn't want to tell you this because you would only gloat about it… I really loved everything about Cielle: her pink nose, bendable ears, soft paws, and fluffy… white- hatchoo!"

"Bless you, young master."

"Damn it! Even when she's dead, she's still making me sneeze!"

"Come on, you need to say goodbye to her so I can find a suitable spot to keep her body."

"No, you're not understanding what I'm saying. I can't let her go and you shouldn't be able to either. She was your pet so why aren't you more upset about this, like I am?"

"Death is a natural part of life and after living for such a long time, that fact has become easier to accept and being upset will not change the reality that she cannot come back. There is something we can do for her though."

"What?"

"It is customary to give someone a funeral when they die and the same ritual can be done for pets. How does that sound?"

Part of him knew he was being childish for making a fuss over a cat however he still nodded silently at the idea and while he went to his room in order to change into a black suit, I placed Cielle's body in a temporary container before I made arrangements for the occasion. Once we met back up I instructed that we take a carriage into town, which he reluctantly agreed to despite not having any inkling as to what I planned and even though he had not come to terms with her death yet, taking this trip distracted him somewhat. He did not speak a word during the whole time and had not realized where we ended up, even as we entered his shop until the owner confronted him, taking advantage of the opportunity to examine his strange state before he decided to question me about it.

"Is there something wrong with him?"

"He has had a very difficult day. Did you make it?"

"Well, seeing as how you provided me with such a severe time restraint, less than an hour, I mustered up the best I could."

"This is your specialty. I trusted you would be capable of nothing less than perfect. Besides, it was not very big."

"What was with those measurements? I never made one that size before."

"It should have been easy for you."

"Yes, it was but I'm curious: what did he need something like that for?"

"There has been an unfortunate incident and we need to have a funeral."

"Well in that case, it's very appropriate then. Still: what has died, can be so small to fit in it, and is worth being buried?"

"Her name was Cielle and… she was the greatest cat in the whole world. Sebastian, take the coffin from him and let's get this over with already."

"Yes, my lord."

"Wait, this whole thing is for a cat? Why would you-" he began to question however I sternly glared at him, which ended that line of conversation, causing him to panic and quickly switch over to favorably discussing the issue at hand, "Never mind, it should be the perfect fit and I designed it very well for you, my lord. I hope the funeral goes well and that you can accept my sincerest condolences. Also, you don't need to pay me for this time. It's free of charge because such dreary occasions don't call for jokes."

"Thank you for your services, Undertaker."

He abruptly walked out of his shop, giving me no other option except to follow and as we made our way to the carriage, an unexpected interruption of Grell coming across us however in spite of the assumed inappropriate, unruly attitude he was very subdued when he sincerely expressed his condolences then asked permission to attend the funeral, somehow knowing what had already happened. I was surprised that he agreed to let him accompany us although he had not been behaving like his usual self, and as a result I was left to suffer with that reaper clinging to me the entire ride home, only letting go when I dug the grave to put the coffin in the ground. We stood there in silence for nearly half an hour because I assumed he needed time to mourn, for whatever reason, and I had found the whole thing unnecessary except could not go against any of his whims, the most unessential being when he finally did speak to give me another demand.

"Sebastian, give a eulogy now."

"Yes, my lord. Cielle was a magnificent cat. She was stunning with her vibrant eyes and soft, smooth, white fur. There were many redeeming qualities to her besides from the physical. She was loyal, affectionate and energetic. I knew her as a kitten who was living outside and when she stopped by the mansion, it always brought a few moments of content into my otherwise lamentable existence. Up until a few weeks ago, we only saw each other casually until I brought her inside and she became intertwined with the daily affairs of the Earl of Phantomhive. At first, he neglected to accept what a wonderful, perfect creature she was, though that was caused by the uncontrollable mechanisms of his body, and after awhile he became attached to her as well in a very compassionate way normal beings look at small and cute things to be overcome with the urge to take care of them, as a rarely observed-"

"Move on with it."

"Either way, Cielle has moved on from this life to the next and since we are currently in a state of physical existence, he must stay behind and simply reflect on how such a simple animal brought so many joyous memories into our lives."

"That was beautiful, Sebby."

"Well, I hope it was satisfactory for my master so we can move on. There are things that you need to-"

"I hate this."

"Excuse me?"

"It's not my fault for becoming attached to her but it only seems I was so fond of her because you're acting as though you don't even care that she's dead! I don't understand. You're obsessed with cats and already said you have known her for years. Why aren't you more upset? Is it that demons can't feel remorseful over a creature so insignificant to them or… perhaps you have already moved on?"

"There is something I neglected to mention to you regarding that."

His eyes shot wide open as thoughts of mourning the current cat on his mind became replaced with a more pressing issue and he placed the pieces together fairly quickly, immediately putting an end to the memorial service to get inside the mansion. It was such uncouth behavior to leave a funeral so abruptly without excusing himself and I could not worry about whatever caused his most recent upset only follow him calmly to where he would end up with Grell still clinging to me, anticipating what would happen since he realized it too. We walked all the way to his bedroom, led there by the shouting we heard and once we reached the destination to arrive upon the sight of him standing on top of his desk chair to avoid the numerous amount of kittens standing below, trying to climb up to get at him. I could not stop from laughing at the amusing situation, which only succeeded in making him angrier with me however I helped resolve his dilemma by giving half of them to Grell to hold, who was thrilled to play with the cute bundles of fur, and took the other half myself in order for him to sit down then take a few moments to catch his breath before turning his frustration to me.

"Sebastian! What the h-hell is wrong with you? I can't believe- hatchoo!"

"Bless you, young master."

"Shut up! There has to be at least a d-dozen cats here in- hatchoo! My room."

"Actually it is 14 to be precise, other than being the most perfect cat Cielle was a prolific mother to all these perfect, little kittens as well. Is this not fantastic, young-"

"Hatchoo! This is a nightmare. What were you thinking?"

"Only of your interests, of course."

"How is that true? Allergies don't ever- hatchoo! Go away."

"You were feeling sad because you lost a pet and now you will not experience that anytime soon. This is the best way we can remember Cielle, by providing her children with a caring environment. Besides, I cannot think of a better household to live in than one with all these adorable kittens around."

"Well I can't think of- hatchoo! A worse way to live than suffering with these perpetual symptoms. I order you to-"

"If I were you, young master, I would be careful what you say next. You already know my unwavering stance and we would not want a repeat of all the events that occurred as a result of your refusal to accept my cats living with us."

"Fine, you can- hatchoo! Keep every, single one of your annoying cats. Just tell me, out of all the rooms in this giant mansion, why do- hatchoo! They have to be in mine?"

"Cats have very specific preferences and cannot truly be controlled. They roam wherever they please. However I am sure they sense, in spite of your allergies, that you are a loving caretaker for them just as you were for their mother."

"Damn it Sebastian, it doesn't matter how much I might possibly love them or take care of them because- hatchoo! Hatchoo! HATCHOO!"

"Bless you, young master."

"I don't know how much more of this I can take."

"Is there anything I can do to ease your suffering?"

"Get me a cup of tea and something sweet, immediately."

"Yes, my lord."

As I put down the cats to leave the room, with Grell doing the same so he could follow me which created the pressing need to remove him from the mansion as soon as I had the opportunity, I noticed that in spite of his aversion to those adorable creatures, he held out his hand to the group of them and when they rubbed up against it then began to lick him, he could not resist falling susceptible to their cuteness and softness by petting each kitten that surrounded him, albeit with a handkerchief pressed tightly over his nose and mouth with the other hand to contain the constant stream of allergy induced sneezes.


End file.
